Importance of disabled user testing Finding testers and testing options

1. Techniques for and benefits of disabled user testing in Web development • Importance of disabled user testing • Finding testers and testing options • Recommended range of testers • Practical considerations • Typical accessibility issues found in disabled user testing • Benefits of disabled user testing • PAS 78 and joint usability initiative with RNIB • Conclusion Jon Gooday, Senior Consultant, AbilityNet 30 January 2006

2. Disabled user testing Importance of Disabled user testing • In the UK disabled user testing has an increasingly central role in ensuring that a website is usable and accessible to disabled people. • The DRC (Disability Rights Commission) web accessibility investigation in 2004 highlighted the importance of complimenting accessibility testing with usability testing: Many of the problems encountered by users are of a nature that designers alone cannot be expected to recognise and remedy. These problems can only be resolved by including disabled users directly in the design and evaluation of websites. … (which)… is very likely to improve usability for all, since many of the characteristics which impede disabled users also make the site confusing to users in general. “ “

3. Disabled user testing Finding testers • One of the most challenging tasks in embarking on disabled user testing is finding representative people across a range of disabilitiescovering the core groups of vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive andlearning disabilities. • It is important to find testers with a mixture of knowledge from expert to novice using a range of adaptive technology. • Strategies include placing adverts on disability/accessibility related websites, mailing lists, special interest groups andcontacting local and national disability groups. • A key incentive is payment - but make sure it does not impact on their benefits

4. Disabled user testing Testing options AbilityNet has developed a range of disabled user testing options: • Home testing: Our testers carry out testing in their homes using their own access technologies or methodologies – mirroring the way many disabled people will access websites. • Moderated testing: We also have testers come into AbilityNet centres where we can video them and record all screen activity/audio output or a moderator goes out to them in their home • User lab testing: We are also able to provide full lab testing at a lab in central London. In the lab there are more video options and clients can observe the testing behind one-way glass.

5. Disabled user testing Recommended range of testers • Severe vision impaired user - screen reader (Jaws/HPR) • Medium vision impaired user - magnification software (Zoomtext/Lunar) • Mild vision impaired user - large text plus white on black colour preferences • Severe motor difficulties user – switch/head operated mouse access and on-screen keyboard (The Grid/WiViK) • Medium motor difficulties/ULD user – voice recognition user (Dragon Naturally Speaking, ViaVoice) • Mild motor difficulties user - fine mouse control difficulties (clickable areas and their proximity etc) • Medium Dyslexic user - changing colours and text to speech software (TextHelp/BrowseAloud) • BSL (British Sign Language) user • Mild learning/cognitive disabled user - no special access methodologies

6. Disabled user testing Practical considerations • How many testers should you use? - you must balance cost against the need to have a representative sample of testers. The main problem is the fewer the number of testers the more likely it is there could be erroneous findings due to the results of one individual. • Capturing the software and hardware profile of each disabled individual to ensure you can have the necessary software and hardware in place for moderated and lab testing • Ensuring user tasks are not biased against one disability group or another because of the language used or the nature of the task • If a moderator is used make sure they are sensitive to the needs of disabled testers and have knowledge of adaptive technology.

7. Disabled user testing Typical accessibility issues found in disabled user testing • Severe vision impaired user – images, navigation, flash, forms, what’s here? • Medium vision impaired user – white space, colour contrast, non linear forms • Mild vision impaired user – fixed text size, contrast, flash content • Severe motor difficulties user – link size, navigation complexity • Medium motor difficulties (VR) – wrong alt text on images, flash • Mild motor difficulties user – link size and proximity (how close), ticker tape links • Medium Dyslexic user – complex text, colour scheme, lack of icons/images • BSL (British Sign Language) user – language , multimedia • Mild learning/cognitive disabled user – content too hard to understand, lack of images and icons, complex navigation

8. Disabled user testing Benefits of disabled user testing • A deeper understanding of accessibility issues from a users perspective • A practical insight into the importance of site usability for disabled people • Clients really appreciate being able to see access technologies ‘in use’ on their websites • Disabled user testing complements W3C WCAG accessibility checkpoint audits – giving you a more comprehensive accessibility evaluation of your site

9. Disabled user testing Benefits to the clients • "A range of interesting and useful issues arose from the disabled testing which have enabled us to make significant improvements in both accessibility and usability.  It's a cost-effective and efficient way of exposing those issues disabled visitors to your site will be confronted with in reality… Mark Bowman, Head of Electronic Media, BAE SYSTEMS • "We engaged AbilityNet to carry out Disabled User testing on our corporate site and found this to be so beneficial that we intend to extend this testing to all of our web sites…“Adrian Barclay, Project Manager, Citizens Advice • “…clients really appreciate being able to see specialist technologies in  use  on their websites ." Keith Simpson,  Managing Director, Optimum Web limited

10. Disabled user testing • PAS 78 and joint usability initiative with RNIB • The Disability Rights Commission tasked the British Standards Institution to produce a PAS (Publicly Available Specification) on commissioning accessible websites – • The PAS will be launched in March 2006 • A key recommendation of the PAS 78 is to use disabled user testing • AbilityNet has set up in partnership with the RNIB (Royal National Institute of the Blind) in the UK offering a joint logo that combines the best of the popular ‘See it Right’ award with the benefits of disabled user testing.

11. Disabled user testing Conclusion • Disabled user testing offers valuable insight into the accessibility and usability of a website, • it specifically highlights practical accessibility issues for a range of disabled users that are not normally picked up in the standard accessibility audit approach. • The combination of checklist auditing and disabled user testing is therefore an ideal approach to maximise accessibility of your site