Rockwell Automation is at the forefront of a pivotal shift in the industrial automation sector, actively championing inclusive design principles across its extensive product portfolio, internal culture, and external communications. This multi-faceted approach acknowledges the growing diversity of the global workforce and the operational demands of modern industrial environments, ensuring that advanced automation technologies are accessible and effective for all users. The company’s comprehensive strategy encompasses thoughtful hardware design, a proactive evolution of industry terminology, and the foundational integration of accessibility within its digital design systems, setting a benchmark for an industry traditionally focused on pure functionality.
The Imperative of Inclusive Design in Industrial Automation
Inclusive design, often distinguished from mere accessibility, is a methodology that ensures products and environments are usable by the widest possible range of people, regardless of age, ability, or circumstance. For industrial automation, this means moving beyond a "one-size-fits-all" approach to recognize the varied physical, cognitive, and sensory capabilities of operators, maintenance staff, and engineers. The urgency for such a shift is driven by several interconnected factors. Demographically, the global workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, including a significant proportion of individuals with various disabilities and an aging population whose physical and sensory needs may change over time. According to the World Health Organization, over 15% of the global population experiences some form of disability, a demographic too substantial for any industry to overlook.
Economically, embracing inclusive design translates directly into tangible business benefits. Enhanced usability reduces training times, minimizes operational errors, and increases overall productivity. Furthermore, it broadens the talent pool, allowing companies to attract and retain skilled workers who might otherwise be excluded by poorly designed interfaces or equipment. From a competitive standpoint, companies that prioritize inclusive design are increasingly seen as industry leaders, fostering customer loyalty and enhancing brand reputation in a socially conscious market. Regulatory pressures, while varying by region, are also slowly influencing industrial sectors, with general accessibility standards (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US or EN 301 549 in Europe) creating a precedent for universal design principles to permeate even specialized equipment.
Engineering Hardware for All: A Focus on Diverse Human Factors
Central to Rockwell Automation’s inclusive design philosophy is the meticulous consideration of diverse human factors in its hardware development. The company operates under the challenging premise that its industrialized equipment must withstand rigorous use in often unpredictable, rugged environments, performing flawlessly "anywhere, anytime, and all the time." This commitment necessitates hardware solutions that equally support the needs of a wide array of users, including those with disabilities.
Alex Mummert, a Senior Industrial Designer at Rockwell Automation, highlights the critical design considerations for industrial hardware. He points out that physical hardware is typically placed either directly on a machine or within an electrical cabinet. This varied placement demands a standardized approach to information display, ensuring legibility and accessibility regardless of the specific configuration. To maximize access, designs minimize interface obstructions, optimize viewing angles (both vertical and horizontal), and prioritize ergonomic efficiency.
Ergonomics plays a pivotal role. Mummert emphasizes designing for the 99th percentile, meaning solutions should comfortably accommodate 99% of the population without major impediments. This involves standardizing grip points, pull forces, and space affordances. Rigorous low-fidelity ergonomic validations are conducted early in the design process to confirm that spatial considerations are appropriate for the intended use case. For instance, a study might evaluate an I/O module’s door-opening feature in relation to adjacent cabling, ensuring it’s easily operable even in confined spaces. This proactive testing mirrors software design methodologies, bringing empirical data to physical product development.
Considering the harsh realities of industrial environments, where products operate in cramped, poorly lit, or dirty conditions, Rockwell Automation focuses on physical characteristics that mitigate these challenges. Adjusting cabling direction and maximizing interface legibility are crucial. Thoughtful affordance is given to create a clear hierarchy for both static and dynamic information, such as LED indicators.
On the subject of indicators and lights, Mummert explains the importance of clear, unambiguous visual feedback. Users must progressively understand module status the longer they interact, with critical information prioritized. To ensure inclusive color affordance, Rockwell Automation developed updated wavelength guidance to assist users with vision impairments. Previously, overlapping color specifications for green and yellow LEDs could cause confusion; new guidelines differentiate blue-green and yellow-green indicators, preventing misinterpretation of device statuses. Increased spacing between LEDs, coupled with strategic placement that accounts for surrounding cables and modules, further enhances legibility, especially in low-visibility or high-stress situations. The goal is to ensure an indicator needing attention is immediately identifiable, preventing frustration and potential safety hazards.
User-interface responsiveness is another key area. Mummert stresses the need for features that provide distinct and consistent feedback, whether visual or physical, confirming task completion. For example, a quarter-turn locking feature on a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) must offer clear tactile feedback to indicate successful locking or unlocking. Critically, these designs must account for users wearing protective gear, such as gloves, which reduce dexterity and tactile sensation. Testing solutions with similar gear in representative environments is essential for validating usability.
With over 400,000 individual stock-keeping units (SKUs), maintaining a consistent brand perception while designing for diverse needs presents a unique challenge. Each product must look and feel as if it belongs to a cohesive ecosystem, delivering on the promise of capability and robustness throughout its entire lifecycle—from unpacking and commissioning to daily use, maintenance, and eventual replacement. The implications of this hardware design philosophy are profound, leading to enhanced safety, reduced operational downtime, and a more comfortable and efficient user experience for a global workforce.
Driving Inclusivity Through Language: Rockwell’s Terminology Revolution
Beyond physical hardware, Rockwell Automation has embarked on a significant initiative to modernize its terminology, addressing outdated and non-inclusive terms that have permeated the technology and automation industries for decades. These terms, often rooted in historical contexts, can alienate users and employees, undermining efforts to foster a truly inclusive environment. The challenge in the automation sector is particularly acute, given the longevity of hardware and software solutions and customer reluctance to alter anything that might disrupt established workflows.
Elena Dunne, Senior Manager of Industry Insights and a former terminologist, has spearheaded this critical effort. The goal is to ensure that all company output—whether hardware-oriented, software-oriented, or web content—aligns with a newly refined terminology strategy. Recognizing that language is a fundamental aspect of any user interface and a primary means of communication, this initiative is vital for connecting with an ever-diversifying user base and employee population.
The journey began with external collaboration. Dunne was part of "TerminOrgs," a consortium of terminologists from large organizations already discussing alternatives to non-inclusive terms like "master/slave" or "whitelist/blacklist." Once Rockwell Automation launched its initiative, it actively engaged with external parties, including standards organizations, partners, and customers who shared similar concerns. This collaborative approach ensured that proposed changes were broadly accepted and understood across the industry. To further disseminate its efforts, Rockwell published a blog and created a dedicated page on its website, openly sharing its preferred alternatives. This list is continuously evolving, spanning subdomains such as cybersecurity, motion control, and software programming. The company has also brought these "Bold Conversations" to its annual Automation Fair® tradeshow, discussing inclusive terminology and design with a wider audience.
Internally, proactive and transparent communication has been paramount. Rockwell convened a Terminology Review Board and employed various tactics to keep employees informed, including regular updates through company newsletters, dedicated intranet pages, and internal town halls. This comprehensive internal strategy fosters buy-in and ensures consistent adoption across all departments. A cross-functional working group leads five distinct workstreams focusing on identification of problematic terms, research into alternatives, communication strategies, implementation guidance, and ongoing review.
Crucially, Rockwell is striving to build these inclusive practices directly into its productization pipeline. UX and product development representatives are actively engaged, and the newly formed Inclusive Design and Accessibility function, led by Amber, is focusing on proactive measures. This means embedding checks and guidelines into the development process to prevent inclusive design and accessibility issues from arising in the first place. The implications of this terminology revolution extend beyond mere semantics; it cultivates a more welcoming and respectful culture, enhances global market acceptance by avoiding culturally insensitive language, and reinforces Rockwell Automation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, making it an attractive employer for a diverse talent pool.
The Digital Foundation: Building Accessibility into the Flourish Design System
The challenge of retroactively updating decades-old industrial software solutions that were not originally designed for accessibility is immense. Therefore, Rockwell Automation’s strategy places a strong emphasis on ensuring that all future software releases rigorously implement accessibility best practices and policies. A cornerstone of this strategy is the integration of proper accessibility guidelines and patterns into the company’s internal Flourish Design System.
Jonathon Gulbrandsen, Design System Leader at Rockwell Automation, explains how Flourish is leveraged to drive the adoption of accessible, inclusive practices. Given the complexity of building accessibility into a design system, prioritization was key. The initial focus was on ensuring a proper contrast ratio across all common components, followed by robust keyboard accessibility. Keyboard accessibility, in particular, was an easy sell to business leaders. Many users in industrial automation, such as system designers and automation engineers, are "power users" who prefer the speed and efficiency of keyboard navigation over mouse interaction. By optimizing for keyboard accessibility, Rockwell simultaneously benefits power users (reducing physical and cognitive strain during long workdays) and users with motor impairments. This dual benefit presented an immediate win-win scenario for leadership.
To ensure appropriate contrast ratios, Rockwell aligned with compliance standards, specifically the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. The design system team built a requirement into their component-design process to test and ensure that contrast ratios meet at least AA standards for graphics and UI components, striving for AAA standards for text. This commitment to WCAG compliance resonates with product leaders who see it as a way to build customer and user confidence, demonstrating that Rockwell is meeting the needs of both its customers and their increasingly diverse workforces.
This work is an ongoing commitment. Every component within the Flourish Design System’s documentation site includes a dedicated accessibility section, ready for expansion as new capabilities are added. Furthermore, the team is actively working on making the design system themeable, which will allow products to offer various visual presentations, such as dark or high-contrast themes. These themes cater to users with different visual needs or preferences, and can also improve usability in specific industrial environments, such as control rooms with low ambient light. The proactive integration of accessibility into Flourish reduces future development costs, significantly improves the overall user experience, ensures regulatory compliance, and reinforces Rockwell Automation’s reputation as an innovator committed to inclusive technology.
Broader Impact and Future Outlook
Rockwell Automation’s holistic approach to inclusive design, spanning hardware, terminology, and software, underscores a profound commitment to serving a diverse global industrial workforce. By establishing hardware design best practices, evolving language to be more welcoming, and embedding accessibility into its foundational design systems, the company is building a sustainable framework for inclusive innovation. The newly formed Inclusive Design and Accessibility function is pivotal in driving these initiatives forward, ensuring that inclusive principles are not just aspirational but are deeply ingrained in every aspect of product development and corporate culture.
This proactive stance positions Rockwell Automation as a leader in industrial technology, demonstrating that cutting-edge automation can also be universally usable. The benefits extend beyond internal operations, fostering a more equitable and efficient industrial ecosystem globally. The company plans to continue sharing its progress, with Part 3 of this series slated to cover additional critical areas, including its external web presence, localization efforts, and other software standards. Through these ongoing efforts, Rockwell Automation is not only adapting to the future of industrial work but actively shaping it to be more inclusive for everyone.
