Trauma-informed digital design

As part of Future Learn’s Designing a Feminist Chatbot class, I’ve been working on a chatbot that helps survivors of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I’m wondering if having safe, private, access to terms, symptoms, information, resources, and ideas for self-care could help some people through recovery.

It got me thinking about how the design community has been working for some time on accessibility standards for people with different abilities, and making sure that tech is inclusive and representative of all people. Accessibility and inclusion is something I’m fiercely passionate about and it’s my sincere desire to make sure everything I write and create is within that framework. And that I continue to learn and grow and do better.

I’m surprised, however, that I’ve not seen any initiatives on trauma-informed digital design. No one’s talking about it as part of inclusivity. There are a few organizations working on it in the domestic violence space. But, I argue that people who are living with trauma require digital experiences that meet their needs far beyond those specific support websites.

About 8 million people have PTSD, but because CPTSD doesn’t appear in the DSM and so much of the trauma that causes it is underreported (sexual abuse, human trafficking, domestic violence) or not taken into consideration (complex trauma endured from white supremacy and misogyny) it’s impossible to know how many people are living with it.

I believe it’s millions and millions more.

The good news is, I think there are some simple changes we can implement as designers to make the digital world safer to navigate for those of us living with Complex PTSD. Some of these things are already being done and overlap with other accessibility considerations—reducing image flashing, not overcrowding elements on a page, and not asking unnecessary personal information.

I’m going to do some more research, make a list of considerations, and finish my bot. :)

Photo by Tim Marshall on Unsplash