Improving accessibility through user research and usability testing

As we continue to advance in research, it is crucial that we keep accessibility at the forefront of our minds. For the last few years, we have been a part of different pilot programs that have focused on the senior population and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). These studies have shown us the importance of inclusivity in all aspects of the research process. By prioritizing accessibility, we can create a more inclusive environment that benefits everyone involved. One of the ways we do this is during usability testing. 

The main objective of conducting accessibility usability testing is to understand how assistive technology affects the experience of using the product and to ensure that the system
operates similarly for disabled individuals as it does for non-disabled individuals.
There are many forms of assistive technology; for example, individuals with visual
difficulties might use screen readers or magnifiers, while people with auditory disabilities
rely on captions or hearing aids to experience multimedia.

Important aspects to consider in accessibility usability testing

01. Recruiting a larger number of participants. 

Why is this important? Five individuals might share a diagnosis but have completely different experiences. For example, individuals with the same hearing loss may use very different communication modalities. Some individuals might use a hearing aid to speak, others might communicate with sign language, and another participant may prefer only visual captions. 

Another reason to recruit a larger group is that you might have a group all with the same diagnos is and using the exact same accessibility software, but despite this, you will also find an array of experiences. Some individuals can have years of experience using it, while others will be new to using the tool and are still learning it or adjusting to their own preferences. 

To truly represent and cater to all people when doing accessibility testing, it’s crucial to understand and incorporate a larger range of testers and assistive technology to impact your results. 

02. Reach out to Communities 

We seek to establish connections with community partners with the necessary expertise to cater to their community’s unique requirements. To this end, we have worked with non-profit organizations serving people with disabilities. Other community partners we have considered are online communities and advocacy groups. One of the major advantages of partnering with these communities is that they not only have key informational materials that help our education, they also have specialists to go to for support and consulting, and often have assistive technology specialists on hand who can provide us with additional support when testing products in a usability test.  

03. From start to finish, ensure an accessible experience

At Digital Scientists, we love to use a journey map to plan our usability testing sessions. We suggest using one to plan an accessible usability testing session to ensure that the participants’ full journey (before, during, and after) is accessible. 

Every touchpoint where you have contact with your interviewees is carefully planned. It is important for us to make our participants feel like we have actively thought about their experience. Some key aspects of the journey to consider are: