What are some UX research tools to improve accessibility?

Morreover, equal access is a basic human right (article 9 of the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). If it is in your power to build an accessible product, there is sensible justification to not do it.

"Equal Access to all" - Keeping this terms in mind every company should include budget for accessibility. Accessibility does not matter only for equal access to all, even it has more brand value and social ethics towards build a better World. In better terms we can call social responsibility.

The digital world and the World Wide Web is predicated on the very principle of allowing people to have unrestricted access to information, no matter their context, social status, available device or disability. And that's entirely possible only if web developers take Accessibility seriously into consideration. Once that happens, it becomes second nature and easy. The basic rules of accessibility improve adherence to web standards and best practices overall (including those for clean code, DRY, documentation and other coding principles), so it's actually detrimental to ignore it if you want to be a great developer. Some governments even incentivize all official public-facing websites to have full accessibility support, based on legislation.

1 of 6 worldwide has some kind of disability. This number is huge and worth every designers and developers time and money. What is often forgotten is that a disability is not just something you are born with or that arises from an accident, but also something that arises simply because we get older. And we all (hopefully) get older. So lets start designing and developing barrier-free for our future selves.

Enhancing accessibility in UX research involves utilizing specialized tools that cater to diverse user needs. Here are some UX research tools designed to improve accessibility: UserZoom: This tool offers features for accessibility testing, including checks for WCAG compliance and usability studies with diverse user groups. Deque Axe: A browser extension that identifies and addresses accessibility issues in web pages, ensuring adherence to WCAG standards. UsabilityHub: Allows quick testing of design prototypes with a focus on accessibility considerations, providing valuable insights for improvements.

The fastest way to learn how users would use your product is to watch reviews of similar products from content creators with disabilities. Take notes of the aspects they evaluate the product in: For example, how well a backpack could be put on a wheelchair. Or up to how big icon size could be adjusted in an app. Keep the aspects they mentioned in mind during the design phase to end up with a more versatile product.

One of the best method to start researching with disable people from diverse community. Blind, low vision, motor disabilities, Deaf or hard of hearing, Anxiety, Neuro disorder and more. Group them according to your projects goal. Explain them clearly about their importance. Set research questions. Conduct a pilot run if possible. Record carefully. There are multiple observation technics. Follow and note down.

For accessibility research you can use follwing ways - - Competitive researach- How user are using other apps, what problems they are facing, what they are loving. - Equatability research - How to keep all users equated, in terms of accessibility. Mean if a user is disabled or challenging, they must equally able to use the app.

Die Idee mit den Interviews und Personas finde ich gut. Bei den Interviews und Personas sollten auch Menschen mit technischen, geistigen und physischen Barrieren berücksichtigt werden.

Research Methods: *User Interviews: Engage directly with users to understand their goals, motivations, frustrations, and expectations. This qualitative approach provides insights into their experiences and needs. *Surveys and Questionnaires: Collect both quantitative and qualitative data from a diverse user base with various abilities and disabilities. This approach helps in gathering broader feedback and insights. *Persona and Scenario Development: Create detailed user profiles and scenarios to understand how different users might interact with your products/services in various contexts. This helps in designing more empathetic and user-centered solutions.

In Figma, there are several plugins that can assist UX designers and researchers in ensuring accessibility. Here are a few examples: - A11y: Finds and fixes common accessibility problems in Figma, especially with colors and text readability. - Stark: Simulates color blindness and checks contrast to make designs more inclusive. - Color Review: Shows the contrast between different colors. - Contrast: Checks if text is easy to read against various backgrounds by looking at color contrast.

I tried many tools during the years, from UserTesting to recruiting users online to test mockups on Marvel app. I used Marvel a lot in the past, either for moderated or unmoderated testing, that could show me : - users behaviour - cognitive load - information processing - gestures and heatmaps - usability - accesibility ...and many more, all you need to know is how to interpret data. But, some great tools to check accesibility errors like color palette/ contrast, font size, icon missing, etc are extensions like WAVE, Oracle colors, Contrast checker. I like WAVE because you can use it, also, on prototypes, if you are logged on browser with Figma. . So, yeah, adapt your tools according to your needs and the end scope of your research.

Ich würde Tools zur Farbkontrastanalyse und zurSimulation der Screenreader empfehlen. Page Speed Insights von google kann auch eingesetzt werden, um die Aufrufgeschwindigkeit der Seiteninhalte zu messen und zu optimieren.

Before you start using accessibility tools, take some time to learn about the WCAG accessibility standard. Check out their official website for more information. Once you understand that accessibility is about more than just text and background contrast, you can start thinking about how to use these tools effectively.

I've found the Interaction Design Foundation's course on Accessibility of high quality and in-depth. Overall, attending events by accessibility communities and exposing yourself to a more diverse group of people is the best way to tune your intuitions. Get new friends with some accessibility needs!

Using specialized UX tools aligned with accessibility guidelines (such as WCAG) is key to create inclusive experiences! Here are essentials: ??? Stark: Plugin finding and fixing accessibility issues in Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD. ?? WAVE (visual)/ AXE (technical): Browser extensions with extensive accessibility reporting. ?? ColorContrastChecker: Online tool evaluating color combinations for sufficient contrast and identifying accessible pairings. ?? UserTesting (highend)/ Lyssna (average): Platforms with rich tailored tools for remote usability testing and accessibility research. ?? JAWS (Windows)/ VoiceOver (macOS): Programs navigating pages by screen reading and voice command, used for designing and testing for visual impairments.

Unglaublich hilfreich ist es sich auszutauschen und mit anderen darüber zu sprechen, was sie für Wege zu barrierefreien Produkten haben. Zudem sollte man auch direkt mit Personen reden, die betroffen sind bzw. auf barrierefreie Produkte angewiesen sind. Dies ist sehr hilfreich um ein besseres Verst?ndnis zu erlangen und zu sehen, was die User wirklich brauchen. Nur so ist es echtes und gutes UX Design.