Accessible Update to UN creeps In

UN has been updated to reflect the findings of the UsabilityNews Accessibility Project (UNAP). If you are alert to these things, you may have seen the changes to the interface, to take on board both survey findings and the results of an IBM accessibility heuristic analysis. They went live a couple of weeks ago and seem to be working.

On Industry Day at HCI 2003 in Bath, we presented details from the study and approach taken to it, and concluded that it was possible to revisit a site's design 'after it had been launched' and subsequently make it more accessible, with relatively modest effort. More details have also been published in Interfaces this autumn. Here is just a short summary of some of the survey findings to do with accessibility.

In days to come, other findings from the survey regarding the service more generally will be presented. And to co-incide with the second part of our Interfaces report on the project, there will be more on the heuristic analysis, user testing and modifications in the New Year.

So, back to the accessibility findings...

The survey resulted in 151 responses from all over the world. The majority of responses were from the UK (45%), America (26%) and Europe (18%). Other responses were received from Canada, Asia, Australia as well as Finland, Egypt and China.

Visual impairment

People with low vision use a combination of vision and an appropriate assistive technology such as a screen magnifier to help them read information on a screen. People with no vision rely on screen reader or braille devices to access the web. A small proportion of survey respondents indicated that they used an assistive technology with their computer to overcome their visual challenges. 13% of visually impaired respondents used a screen reader and 13% used a screen magnifier. Other adaptations used were standard PC setup features, such as "StickyKeys", and spectacles.

Colour vision impairment

2% of survey respondents have a colour vision impairment.

Physical disabilities

The UsabilityNews survey was interested in physical disabilities that impair users' use of a mouse or keyboard. A small proportion of survey respondent reported having a physical disability that impaired their use of a mouse or keyboard. As a result one respondent used voice recognition software and four used alternative pointing devices such as trackerballs.

Learning or literacy difficulties

The survey focused on dyslexia and dyspraxia, with a catch-all for other learning / literacy difficulties. 4% of the survey population had a learning or literacy difficulty. Four survey respondents suffered from dyslexia, one from dyspraxia and one other from an unspecified learning / literacy difficulty.

The survey highlighted the fact that some of the existing or potential readers of UsabilityNews do have special accessibility needs. This is a sound reason for making UsabilityNews accessible. Irrespective of this, are the facts that designing for accessibility is the right thing to do, and that legislation requiring compliance is due to be enforced in 2004.

More detail can be found in Clarke D T, Light A and Paddison C (2003). UsabilityNews Accessibility Project: Making a web site accessible 'after' it is live. Vol. 2 Proceedings of HCI 2003 Conference, Bath, 8-12th September 2003. ISBN: 1-897851-10-3. See the website below.


Dave Clarke, Visualize Systems Ltd (http://www.visualize.uk.com/contact)
Ann Light, UsabilityNews (editor@usabilitynews.com)
Claire Paddison, IBM UK, Warwick (paddisonc@uk.ibm.com)

Associated Link: More details of UNAP

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