Accessibility Research - Helps you to
1.Gather data that more accurately represents your whole user population
2.Identify areas that interfere with any user’s ability to interact with a system
3.Discover early on whether significant, expensive accessibility issues exist
4.Provide critical insights that help you innovate on your products, not just fix existing issues
5.Connect with people where they are, using their assistive tools and technologies in a realistic context
What is accessibility research?
Accessibility research enables us to create products with empathy by ensuring they're usable by all people regardless of age or ability. At 20% of the population, creating accessible experiences for all audiences with disabilities whether visual, auditory, or cognitive, is more than just a legal requirement.
Identify areas that interfere with any users' ability to use a product. Gather data that accurately represents your entire user population. Improve your product for not only those with disabilities, but all of your users. Provide critical insights that help you innovate on your products, not just fix existing issues
Its been a few years, as I’ve grown my knowledge in accessibility research, I’ve developed a number of best practices. Here are a few I follow to structure the research process when it comes to testing with specialized populations and user needs.
Think deeply about how people with disabilities may experience using your product:
consider your product and what parts of it might present challenges for people with disabilities
Plan to test with users who have varying degrees of impairments:
Someone who has low vision will have a different experience using your product from someone who is legally blind. Testing with participants at varying levels of disability can help you discover the severity of your accessibility issues and determine what changes and improvements you can make to assist each level.
Consider what location will be most convenient for your participants whether remote, in a lab, or at home:
You might also consider testing in a location more convenient to them, for example, their school or home. Sometimes, it can be helpful to see their at-home setup and meet them where they are most comfortable.
Thoughtfully screen participants to understand their needs:
Obviously, screening participants for accessibility studies is going to be more complex and nuanced than recruiting the general population. During this process, we ask participants what assistive technology or setup they use at home to help us understand what they’ll need to participate in the research.
Integrate accessibility findings into ongoing testing and reporting:
Analyzing findings for the entire population side by side can help you balance out any discrepancies, weigh your options, and potentially brainstorm solutions that help all groups, not just one or the other.
Conduct regular, in-depth usability testing focused on accessibility:
Consistent testing can also provide focused feedback to find nuances across devices and help you move the needle beyond current adaptations.
