Kim Arnett: Why You, A Mobile Developer, Should Care About Accessibility
This article by Kim Arnett illustrates very well how important it is to test your website or app in the "real world". While her article is about mobile apps, the practical application can be applied to desktop apps as well.
The first time I navigated on my phone with my eyes closed and only the screen reader, a new world opened up for me. It can expand your horizons many times over when you use the product you've been working on in a way that is completely unfamiliar.
This kind of testing should not only be reserved for developers, but for all people involved, e.g. management, design, concept, sales and so on. This way, you can not only get different opinions through user testing, but also ensure that everyone involved experiences how usable your product really is.
For example, Kim suggests the following scenarios:
I’d like to challenge your team to try the same exercise listed above on your application. Can you get through the primary use case while relying on assistive technologies? Can you do it blindfolded or with headphones on? Can you do it with only touching a switch control? How difficult was it? Would you come back and do business with that app again? Were you even able to achieve what you were trying to do? Through an exercise like this, you’ll learn firsthand why you, a mobile developer, should care about accessibility in your application.