cognitive-accessibilitylisted

# Cognitive Accessibility The hardest accessibility barriers to see are cognitive ones. A screen reader user encounters a missing label and knows immediately. A person with a processing difference encounters an interface that demands too much of their working memory and just... leaves. This skill makes cognitive demands visible and manageable. ## When to Use - Designing multi-step processes or forms - Creating navigation structures or information architecture - Evaluating whether an interface asks too much of the user - Designing for contexts of stress, distraction, or time pressure - Reviewing any interface for cognitive load ## Process ### Step 1: Assess Cognitive Load For each screen or flow, evaluate three types of load: **Intrinsic load** — complexity inherent to the task - How many concepts must the user understand simultaneously? - How many decisions must they make per screen? - Can the task be simplified without losing essential function? **Extraneous load** — complexity added by poor design - Is information organised logically or scattered? - Are instructions clear and visible, or must the user remember them? - Is the interface consistent, or do similar things work differently in different places? **Germane load** — effort spent learning the system - Can the user build a mental model from the interface structure? - Are patterns consistent so that learning one part teaches the next? - Does the interface reward exploration or punish mistakes? ### Step 2: Redu