How a failed user test got me started with accessibility (and three reasons why it failed) I was running a user testing session on a website some years ago, before I had any idea about accessibility and screen readers. This person was blind, using a screen reader, and they had problems filling in a form. I instructed them to select the first option in a fancy drop down widget, but they just couldn't get to it with a keyboard. "But it's right there," I kept saying. "No, I can't get to it," they said. What the what!? I was just a deer in the headlights, completely stunned and utterly surprised by what was happening. That little widget that I was so proud of was making them feel frustrated and exhausted. Total surprise! Why was it a surprise though? 1. I didn't know what I didn't know. I wasn't aware that a lot of people will tab tab tab their way through a website. I had no idea about accessibility, people with disabilities, keyboard navigation - and semantic HTML apparently. 2. I was ignorant. I knew the tester will use a screen reader and still I thought everything will work fine. How different could it be? I did no research. 3. I wasn't prepared. Because I thought everything will go smoothly, I didn't bother to prepare for the what-if. What if something goes wrong and we can't finish the test? No preparation lead to me babbling my way through it all, probably annoying them and running the clock. That whole experience left both of us frustrated. I felt that I wasted their time and they just felt exhausted at the end. It made me realise that the way I was designing and building things on the web was excluding a whole lot of people. And that got me started on the path I am today. How did you get started?
Bogdan Lazar’s Post
More Relevant Posts
-
Sometimes, if I’m fixing an unrelated bug I spot the opportunity to make a quick “drive-by” accessibility tweak that is quick and easy and will give a disproportionately big boost to the user experience for people with accessibility needs. Here are some of my top faves (number 3 will have you in tears!). https://lnkd.in/gAHq6wEP
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Wow!! A must read! One superb article from our Solutions Director, Phil Hazelton at Appius. Web accessibility in projects can so often be a box-ticking exercise. This should never be the case, and it's so much more than that. We live in a digital world, and I want that world to be inclusive. Extra follow-up info; https://lnkd.in/eNcQ5AFZ
Introducing the Appius Accessibility Challenge! 🤓 Embark on a hands-on journey to understand accessibility without drowning in technical jargon. In our recent blog, we show you all the levels of accessibility you need to consider for users to get an unrivalled smooth experience on your website with accessibility needs. No lengthy courses, just a few steps and a website of your choice! 💻 Blog link here 👉 https://lnkd.in/esyRYsVQ 👈 These quick challenges align with real world accessibility guidelines, providing insights into common pitfalls and enhancing your design and development approach. If you're hungry for more knowledge or interested in an accessibility audit for your site, reach out to us via our contact form here: https://lnkd.in/eGEauMpq Ready to dive in? Let the Accessibility Challenge begin! 💪 #WebAccessibility #Challenge #InclusiveDesign #DigitalInclusion #wcag #wcag2
Level Up Your Understanding of Accessibility
marketing.appius.com
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Introducing the Appius Accessibility Challenge! 🤓 Embark on a hands-on journey to understand accessibility without drowning in technical jargon. In our recent blog, we show you all the levels of accessibility you need to consider for users to get an unrivalled smooth experience on your website with accessibility needs. No lengthy courses, just a few steps and a website of your choice! 💻 Blog link here 👉 https://lnkd.in/esyRYsVQ 👈 These quick challenges align with real world accessibility guidelines, providing insights into common pitfalls and enhancing your design and development approach. If you're hungry for more knowledge or interested in an accessibility audit for your site, reach out to us via our contact form here: https://lnkd.in/eGEauMpq Ready to dive in? Let the Accessibility Challenge begin! 💪 #WebAccessibility #Challenge #InclusiveDesign #DigitalInclusion #wcag #wcag2
Level Up Your Understanding of Accessibility
marketing.appius.com
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
CPWA, Accessibility Expert & Full-Stack Developer, WAS, CPACC, React, NextJS, Angular, NodeJS, PHP, WCAG 2.2 AA, DHS Trusted Tester Certified
"Overlays" are always a hot topic for everyone. I always have a question in mind "Why overlays are not being created for testing purposes?" they will positively gain popularity. and then I decided to create a toolkit to help the testers quickly identify accessibility issues. Here are a couple of Q&As for you! What is the HalfAccessible toolkit? HalfAccessible is a Chrome-only extension that provides powerful features to enhance your accessibility testing journey. It includes features such as a target size checker, text spacing, automated accessibility and color issues, and an HTML code copier. Why is accessibility testing important? Accessibility testing is important because it helps ensure that your website or application is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. By making your website or application accessible, you can reach a wider audience and provide a better user experience for everyone. How to use the HalfAccessible toolkit To use the HalfAccessible toolkit, simply install the extension from the Chrome Web Store (https://lnkd.in/dxdE6xdZ). Once installed, the extension will be available in the toolbar. To use the extension, simply click on the icon and select the feature you want to use. Conclusion The HalfAccessible toolkit is a powerful tool that can help you improve the accessibility of your website or application. By using the toolkit, you can make sure that your website or web application is accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. #Accessibility #AccessibilityForAll #AccessibilityMatters #Toolkit #A11Y
HalfAccessible - Accessibility Toolkit
chromewebstore.google.com
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Award Winning Diversity & Inclusion Champion🎙LinkedIn Top Voice🏅Helen-Keller Awardee | D&I Strategist, Obsessed about creating Impact | LinkedIn Creator Accelerator CAP | Making Inclusive & Diverse Spaces a Reality
♿️ With billions of people relying on Internet for education, employment, business & social interactions, here’s a free Chrome extension performs real-time audits of web pages to make them accessible. It identifies accessibility issues, ensuring compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. Its primary function is to facilitate website owners, developers, and digital content creators in recognizing and rectifying accessibility barriers that may prevent people with disabilities from fully engaging with web content. ⭐️ ensuring that websites are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities, becomes paramount for social, economical and financial inclusion. https://lnkd.in/gEiCGNEe
How Can the EqualWeb Checker Aid in Achieving Web Accessibility?
m.tribuneindia.com
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Technical Writer & Fullstack Developer @ Upwork | Master's in Computer Science, GIS Engineer | API's Integration
Web accessibility is crucial for visually impaired people as it ensures that digital content is accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability. Accessible websites allow visually impaired users to navigate, understand, and interact with web content using assistive technologies like screen readers, voice recognition software, and braille displays. This inclusivity enhances user experience and promotes equal access to information, services, and opportunities online. Accessibility is a requirement in many countries, such as the US and EU. Failure to follow these regulations can lead to fines or even being sued. For example, Target was taken to court over its website, which lacked access features for PWDs but was later fixed. Check out this blog on creating an image accessibility viewer via Filestack with React JS: Filestack #accessibility #webdevelopment #developers #programmers https://lnkd.in/dX3BCeh8
Image Captioning | Create an Image Accessibility Viewer with Filestack
https://blog.filestack.com
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
At #a11yClub I talked about how ‘built-in’ accessibility is not easy and not a quick fix. But it can be done, in lots of places (from web platform features to CMSes). And it is worthwhile, if you do it right. In the talk, I shared some ideas and learnings from our work at NL Design System to illustrate. Just like (the now 25 years old) WCAG 1.0 (https://lnkd.in/eZybpw5V), design system efforts can help developers to make their web pages accessible to people with disabilities. And there are lots opportunities too to complement the normative guidelines: to be more concrete, to abstract away code and design decisions, to add openly shared user research and to verify with process. My slides and all the links are here, video + full transcript to follow
“Built-in” accessibility: blessing or curse?
talks.hiddedevries.nl
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Founder @RemedySync | Co-Founder @Exteed | Leading innovative technology solutions for business growth and digital transformation
Web Accessibility: Making Your Site Inclusive Web accessibility ensures that everyone, including people with disabilities, can use and interact with your website. By making your site inclusive, you’re not only improving user experience for millions of people but also complying with accessibility laws and boosting your website’s SEO. Use Descriptive Alt Text Providing alt text for images allows visually impaired users to understand the content through screen readers. Keep descriptions concise but informative. Avoid leaving decorative images without text or use an empty alt="" for non-essential visuals. Ensure Color Contrast Low contrast between text and backgrounds can be problematic for users with visual impairments like color blindness. Tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker can help you adjust color combinations for better readability. Enable Keyboard Navigation Not everyone can use a mouse. Make sure all interactive elements—such as links, buttons, and forms—are easily navigable via keyboard alone. Proper focus management and intuitive tab order enhance this experience. Clear and Structured Headings Semantic HTML and well-organized headings (H1, H2, etc.) make it easier for users with cognitive disabilities and screen reader users to navigate your site. A clear structure improves readability and understanding. Accessible Forms Each form field should be clearly labeled, as this allows assistive technologies to convey the form’s purpose to users. Adding instructions where necessary can further simplify the process. Accessibility isn't just about compliance—it's about empathy and inclusivity. By making small yet impactful changes, such as providing text alternatives for media or avoiding flashing animations, you create a better user experience for everyone. Additionally, accessibility benefits your website’s visibility and reduces legal risks. Let’s make the web a place that welcomes everyone! Learn more about web development from the resources W3Schools.com and JavaScript Mastery #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #WebDevelopment
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Founder & Director at Envisionly | Empowering Businesses with Innovative Software Solutions | Passionate about Tech, Accessibility, Leadership, and Growth
As a strong believer in accessible technology, I'm here to tell you that screen reader overlays like accessiBe are not the answer to website accessibility. While these tools can be a temporary fix, they often create a limited and inconsistent experience for screen reader users. True accessibility is about building websites from the ground up to be usable by everyone, regardless of ability. Instead of relying on band-aid solutions, let's focus on building accessible websites with proper coding practices. Educating developers on WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and best practices is also crucial. By advocating for the benefits of accessibility, not just for users with disabilities, but for a better user experience overall, we can create a more inclusive web environment. Imagine navigating a building with multiple inaccessible staircases – a temporary ramp helps, but wouldn't a lift from the start be a better solution? Let's work together to create a web that's truly accessible for everyone! #accessibility #webdev #inclusion #blindintech
To view or add a comment, sign in
-
Sr. Product Marketing Manager | LambdaTest (#LambdaTestYourApps) Power your software testing with AI and Cloud 🚀
Taking a stride towards fostering inclusivity in the digital landscape! 🧑🏻💻 Presenting the latest LambdaTest Accessibility DevTools Chrome Extension🔗 https://lnkd.in/gxgzPVMd Driven by Axe DevTools, this extension empowers developers and testers to seamlessly identify, manage, organize, and report accessibility issues. Featuring comprehensive scanning capabilities, like: 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧 for evaluating entire web pages 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧 for pinpointing specific issues 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 offering a comprehensive issue summary and breakdown of your website's accessibility performance. Install the extension now to test your website for accessibility and deliver exceptional user experience!💯 #LambdaTestYourApps #Accessibility #AccessibilityTool #SoftwareTesting
Accessibility Testing DevTools Chrome Extension
lambdatest.com
To view or add a comment, sign in