How Web Design Can Trigger Vestibular Disorders

Picture this: you’re scrolling through a website and suddenly the world feels like it’s spinning. Your stomach lurches, your head pounds, and you’re left gripping your desk for stability.

Welcome to my reality. As someone with Meniere’s disease where the digital world can transform from a helpful tool into a debilitating health issue.

When Your Inner Ear Becomes Your Worst Enemy

Living with Meniere’s disease means dealing with unexpected vertigo attacks. This disease impacts the vestibular system in the inner ear that helps maintain balance. It also controls your spatial awareness by sending sensory information to our brain about body positioning.

When the vestibular system is compromised by a vestibular disorders it sends conflicting signals to the brain.

In the U.S. alone, 35% of adults who are over 40 years of age, or nearly eight million people, have chronic problems with balance and an additional 2.4 million have dizziness alone.

Vertigo and Deafness Clinic

The longest attack I experienced was 4 days. During these episodes I experience severe spinning sensations, nausea, and vomiting that doesn’t stop. I tilt my head in one direction causing the room to morph like a circus mirror around me.

Sometimes, I complete my art designs and graphic work laying side ways, unable to even lift my head.

What many people don’t realize is that these symptoms can be triggered websites, films, gifs, stickers…anything with motion. Bright colors like neon yellow can also trigger vertigo.

This creates a perfect storm where digital design choices can become serious accessibility barriers.

Motion Design The Digital Vertigo Trigger

Modern web design loves motion. Parallax scrolling, autoplaying videos, animated transitions. These delightful features can be a nightmare for people with vestibular disorders.

Parallax effects, where background elements move at different speeds than foreground, content my brain interprets this as actual motion. It can make me sick instantly. The motion sickness or vertigo doesn’t go away. Once it is triggered, I have to avoid screens to prevent a long term attack.

Modern research continues to study these disorders, but studies did reveal that:

“28% of users report motion sickness from excessive visual effects.” International Journal of Psychophysiology, Volume 176, 2022

Scrolljacking animations, where background elements and scrolling move at different speeds, can trigger vertigo, nausea, and migraines for your audience.

Excessive motion constant animation 3D depth effects and animated GIFs can all trigger vestibular episodes. Your brain expects consistent pacing for navigating a website. However, bold patterns creates the illusion of motion and flashing not only may trigger seizures, but also vertigo.

The Bright Light Problem

“Light sensitivity or photophobia affects more than 90 percent of people with vestibular migraine.” Vestibular.org

Bright lights of any kind are my nemesis. When I draw, I use a TFT-LCD (IPS) screen which mimic paper. This helps me avoid episodes when design.

It is not just the light, but the color of the webpage you are viewing.

Neon colored websites - I am looking at you! A webpage of solid yellow or neon green will trigger vestibular disorders. 

Website designs that mimic flickering through rapid color changes or strobe effects can produce similar responses.

Small Changes Big Impact

The good news is, as a designer you can change this! Vestibular accessibility is good for those with the disorder or without.

What can you do?

1. Fewer pop ups flashing effects and unnecessary animations create smoother more enjoyable experiences for all users.
2. Respecting user device settings like reduce motion preferences
3. Avoid autoplay content
4. Choose patterns and colors thoughtfully

I know first hand that accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about creating digital environments where EVERYONE can participate fully.

As graphic designers, web designers and artist, consider the vestibular impact of your choices. You are not just preventing motion sickness.

You are ensuring that people like me can navigate the digital world without fear of triggering the disabling symptoms.

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