User Vision Breakfast Briefing 15 th June 2009 Accessibility Beyond the Guidelines Lessons from testing with disabled users Mark Palmer

Who we are Leading user experience consultancy Offices in Edinburgh & London Our services Usability testing Eye tracking Testing with disabled users Expert evaluations Accessibility reviews Focus groups Usability and accessibility training Clients: DTI, Economist.com, Houses of Parliament, Emirates Airline, RBS, ACAS & many more

Leading user experience consultancy

Offices in Edinburgh & London

Our services

Usability testing

Eye tracking

Testing with disabled users

Expert evaluations

Accessibility reviews

Focus groups

Usability and accessibility training

Clients: DTI, Economist.com, Houses of Parliament, Emirates Airline, RBS, ACAS & many more

The WCAG – Positives The recognised ‘standard’ for web acessibility Has raised awareness of accessibility Defines solutions and recommendations Widely accepted benchmark of compliance level

The recognised ‘standard’ for web acessibility

Has raised awareness of accessibility

Defines solutions and recommendations

Widely accepted benchmark of compliance level

The WCAG – Negatives Can’t account for how users adapt to accessibility problems Unconventional methods Use of assistive technologies not designed for their particular disability Use of other technology (non-assistive) Can’t account for all circumstances DRC study showed about half of all issues encountered not directly attributable to the WCAG Can encourage a focus on automated testing rather than empirical evidence

Can’t account for how users adapt to accessibility problems

Unconventional methods

Use of assistive technologies not designed for their particular disability

Use of other technology (non-assistive)

Can’t account for all circumstances

DRC study showed about half of all issues encountered not directly attributable to the WCAG

Can encourage a focus on automated testing rather than empirical evidence

Why test with disabled users? Disabled users encounter more issues than able-bodied users We make (often incorrect) assumptions about potential accessibility issues The technically accessible may be unusable for disabled users Helps us understand the relevance of any accessibility features we implement

Disabled users encounter more issues than able-bodied users

We make (often incorrect) assumptions about potential accessibility issues

The technically accessible may be unusable for disabled users

Helps us understand the relevance of any accessibility features we implement

Recruiting disabled users Can be difficult Participants may have logistical difficulties Many charities will not provide lists of users to contact Blind users seem more willing to participate Difficult groups to recruit Learning difficulties Cognitively impaired Aspergers and Autism particularly tough Physically disabled users using specific technologies

Can be difficult

Participants may have logistical difficulties

Many charities will not provide lists of users to contact

Blind users seem more willing to participate

Difficult groups to recruit

Learning difficulties

Cognitively impaired

Aspergers and Autism particularly tough

Physically disabled users using specific technologies

Recruiting disabled users (2) Requirement to provide more background info re tasks to disabled users Establish database of disabled users Referrals are a good means of growing the database Colleges and Universities can often be a good source of dyslexic participants

Requirement to provide more background info re tasks to disabled users

Establish database of disabled users

Referrals are a good means of growing the database

Colleges and Universities can often be a good source of dyslexic participants

Findings from testing with disabled users Unusable accessibility Over elaborate, unnecessary or detailed alt text Access keys conflicting with assistive or other software Accessibility statement not focused on disabled users Issues not fully identified by WCAG Inconsistency in terminology used Relating to visual position of screen Pop up window size and placement Recursive links Usability & accessibility in conflict? Initial field focus on forms Auto-tabbing multiple fields Auto-triggering dropdowns

Unusable accessibility

Over elaborate, unnecessary or detailed alt text

Access keys conflicting with assistive or other software

Accessibility statement not focused on disabled users

Issues not fully identified by WCAG

Inconsistency in terminology used

Relating to visual position of screen

Pop up window size and placement

Recursive links

Usability & accessibility in conflict?

Initial field focus on forms

Auto-tabbing multiple fields

Auto-triggering dropdowns

Findings from testing with disabled users (2) Blind user: The home page is good but there are not enough images on the page for me. Blind user: We always miss TV programmes through not being able to read the paper so TV online is perfect for us. Dyslexic user: I just copy and past everything into Word. That makes it a lot easier to read.

Usability and accessibility Usability and accessibility are not 2 separate disciplines. Often it is thought Accessibility is for disabled people. Its about meeting the WCAG technical guidelines, staying legal Usability is for non disabled people, and is improving conversion rates, findability etc Disabled users still encounter usability issues but also a layer of accessibility on top

Usability and accessibility are not 2 separate disciplines. Often it is thought

Accessibility is for disabled people. Its about meeting the WCAG technical guidelines, staying legal

Usability is for non disabled people, and is improving conversion rates, findability etc

Disabled users still encounter usability issues but also a layer of accessibility on top

Alternative text Over elaborate alternative text Unnecessary alternative text Inappropriate alternative text Pages without any descriptive alternative text

Over elaborate alternative text

Unnecessary alternative text

Inappropriate alternative text

Pages without any descriptive alternative text

Technical accessibility statement ‘ Technical’ information that does not benefit the user

‘ Technical’ information that does not benefit the user

Inconsistency in terms used Log in – Sign In Contact us – Talk to Us – Get in touch

Log in – Sign In

Contact us – Talk to Us – Get in touch

Visual relationships Directions meaningless in linearised or non visual context

Directions meaningless in linearised or non visual context

Restricting window sizes Screen magnification users find it difficult to distinguish the edge of windows

Screen magnification users find it difficult to distinguish the edge of windows

Recursive Links Clicking on ‘Teacher Training’ link takes us to this page If selected again it just refreshes the page

Auto tabbing Sort code Sort code 56 42 56 42

Customisations Customisations are commonly used across the web Many disabled users do not use these:- Lack of awareness Too much effort Not suited to their particular circumstances Users often do not like to use customisation (e.g. in the workplace) as they feel it draws attention to their disability.

Customisations are commonly used across the web

Many disabled users do not use these:-

Lack of awareness

Too much effort

Not suited to their particular circumstances

Users often do not like to use customisation (e.g. in the workplace) as they feel it draws attention to their disability.

Other Observations Some blind users like graphics External customisations seem still to be more popular than site or browser based customisations Coloured screen filters Coloured lenses Adjusting monitor settings Many users unaware of assistive technology Users ‘struggle through’

Some blind users like graphics

External customisations seem still to be more popular than site or browser based customisations

Coloured screen filters

Coloured lenses

Adjusting monitor settings

Many users unaware of assistive technology

Users ‘struggle through’

Conclusions WCAG is still the reference for web accessibility It cannot cover all circumstances Do include disabled users in the testing of your site Ensure you test with relevant disability groups Never fail to be surprised by what you learn

WCAG is still the reference for web accessibility

It cannot cover all circumstances

Do include disabled users in the testing of your site

Ensure you test with relevant disability groups

Never fail to be surprised by what you learn

Thank You User Vision 55 North Castle Street Edinburgh EH2 3QA Tel: 0131 225 0859 Email: [email_address] Web: www.uservision.co.uk

User Vision

55 North Castle Street

Edinburgh

EH2 3QA

Tel: 0131 225 0859

Email: [email_address]

Web: www.uservision.co.uk