Why I hate the Interweb!

And what we can do about it

It’s really disheartening to hear users say they hate the web

They tell me the only go online when they have to

But some disabled web users get such a bum deal

The web has the potential to give equal access to information for everyone!

When things go well

Why is the web still not accessible?

Accessibility viewed as too prohibitive and expensive

Some sectors have almost no take up – entertainment, lifestyle, Rock and Roll, fun!

Assistive technologies not fit for purpose?

Most popular browser not fit for purpose?

Disabled web users don’t know about the good stuff?

How much do we expect the user to know?

About our research

Conduct regular lab based tests with diverse users

Sites tend to be information based (rarely web apps or rich media)

Many of the issues fall outside of the WCAG 1.0 guidelines

Patterns often emerge across users with different needs who are surfing in different ways

This means solving these issues will have a broad positive impact on the overall user experience

For all users

Accessibility is usability

Issues uncovered by users in a typical recent test

Proportion of users facing each difficulty

The site being tested was information based with few transactions

Talking to our users

We surveyed our users to find out what they found difficult about the web

And what would be on their wish list for a dream web

Low number of respondents

Across a broad range of impairment categories

Screen reader users

Screen magnifier and Large text users

Deaf users

Users with dyslexia

Users with learning disabilities

Voice recognition software and keyboard users

Other issues

Be careful not to pigeon hole people – treat everyone as an individual

Amongst disabled users difference in the level of IT knowledge is vast from super geeks to technophobes

Those with the least technical knowledge may be most in need of assistance

Don’t make solutions based on technical know how

Solutions need to be easy to use

It’s not always easy to upgrade or install new software

How do we tell users about the good stuff?

How do we persuade users to try a tool again?

And some ideas from the team

Here’s what they said

Common issues

Page layout – no control, too crowded, no hierarchy

Typography – text size, colour contrast,

Flash (menus, adverts) – distracting, can’t operate

Remembering / inputting user name and password

CAPTCHA graphics

Having to scroll to view content

Filling in forms

New Facebook is difficult to use

Low take up in Web 2.0?

Johann Screen magnification software user

Partially sighted uses ZoomText and increases text size “I like pages were the developers have considered the colour

combinations they are using”

“Websites which are heavily dependent on animation or flash movies can also make viewing very frustrating.”

“I can use the directions part of Google maps with practice, but there is far too much scrolling around on maps for my liking, and the last time I tried to zoom in it didn't magnify anything.”

“I also find it difficult when things pop up on the right-hand side instead of taking up the whole screen.   Although I am partially sighted, I am actually totally blind in my right eye, and this means I'm not as good at scanning as other people. ”

Partially sighted uses Zoomtext and increases text size Maps - Find these almost impossible to use, seem to run out of

control, would like to be able to make them full screen, almost running as a separate program, would like them also to be linked to info about public transport

Do not like the new style Facebook, it feels more messy and difficult to find things

Forms - Wish designers would make boxes slightly bigger and with clear lines round the outside of the boxes

My screen resolution means I often have to scroll across, this is my biggest bugbear about using the web.

Summary

Complex layout make navigation very difficult

Screen magnifier users are prone to RSI and posture related injuries

Different alignments make reading difficult

ZoomText is often slow and can be frustrating

Information on the right hand of the page can be easily missed

Tool which allows users to override page design

Reduce scrolling

Replace type settings and colour combinations

Convert fixed layout to relative

NicolaVoice recognition software / keyboard user

Nicola’s experience

What it’s like to use voice recognition or a keyboard

The problem with mouse clicks

Using webmail

Nicola’s wishlist

Mild motor difficulties

“Only a few things bug me. There is so much stuff that I would welcome a better filtering system on the search engines. I have never found a way to turn the page in a search engine that is offering many pages of results. “

“As my eyes and mouse skills deteriorate it is desperately boring to click on the Next button or a tiny number - there probably is short cut but I cannot find it. “

“Perhaps MS or Google could build a simple page turner on a single button to speed that process up.”

“One afterthought, there are many too many formats for video, audio etc. “

VR and keyboard user on Flash

“I get frustrated when developers make a Flash interface that has no simple HTML alternative, these often don't work when using VR. Anything with a click and hold requirement, like some calendars and menu designs, are useless if you can't use a mouse and rely on VR or other pointing software to work for you.”

VR = Voice recognition software

Summary

Many users can use the mouse but it causes pain and fatigue

Some users can’t use the mouse at all

Tabbing can be difficult and frustrating

Flash menus can be particularly difficult

Don’t rely on mouse over to identify links or icons

“It would really help if pages could be forced to fit the screen, to avoid scrolling and keep navigation simple and easy.”

Easy page turner for search engines

List of all the links on a page in one handy place

Users with dyslexia

Users with dyslexia

Difficulties with new Facebook interface

“The new Facebook is very hard to access all the features as instead of having all the applications… on one page, you have to select different pages. The set out of the page is now harder to find your way round,”

Some of the information websites content is hard to read as the font size is small and the background colour is white. From a dyslexics viewpoint, this makes the website not very useable. The websites would be more useable if they used a different background colour from white and bigger font. ”

“Filling in details for banks etc. I am not a brillant typing and make a lot of mistakes for example, pushing buttons by accident. This can sometimes be frustrating as when filling in your details if you accidently push a button, the page can change and delete in the details which you have filled in. “

Summary

Page design has a huge impact on this group of users

Colour combinations

Typeface

Colour combination

Layout

Flexibility

Cognitive overload and difficulties with short term memory can make navigation difficult

Users often have to rely on navigating – searching too difficult if there’s no spell checker

Screen reader users

Jaws users

“On Facebook for some reason the webpage seems to jump making it hard to click on the correct links. “

Facebook: incorrect labels

“As you may or may not be aware Facebook has a new design which seems even more difficult to use”

Form fields – no labels or incorrect labelling

CAPTCHA alternatives difficult to listen to

Most calendars don’t work without a mouse

Jaws users continued

“Combo boxes, magic numbers (CAPTCHA), form filling, watching TV, purchasing items.”

“I find webmail can be difficult to navigate.”

“I have tried to purchase tickets for flights: EasyJet, Virgin, British Airways, train tickets, football tickets but have found it either impossible or too time-consuming. However, you often get a big discount if you purchase on the internet. “

JAWs users - summary

Link text is really important – especially the first letter of the first word

Filling in forms, registration, logging in can be difficult

Audio feedback is really important

Many users have a very poor experience

Many users think Flash is inaccessible (full stop).

It can be hard to overcome the steep learning curve with constant set backs

Users with learning disabilities

The new Facebook is too difficult

Writing is too small

Keeps freezing

Difficult to log in and out

Memorising email address and password

Not big enough space to write in form fields

Fulham Football Club is also difficult please fix!

Information overload – confusing page design

Rich media and images can be very engaging

Summary

Put important information in important places

Keep it simple

Don’t overload users

Use rich media

Common issues

New Facebook interface

Frustrations with navigation

Excessive scrolling

Dependence on the mouse

Filling in forms

Remembering user names and passwords

Flash …

The current solution for accessible video is counter intuitive – please can we have an easy to use accessible player

When screen reader users hear “Macromedia Flash Movie” they automatically think inaccessible

YouTube is pants

What difference does it make?

Controlling video playback

For Kirin EasyYouTube was empowering

Kath.moonan@abilitynet.org.uk

All our test participants

Especially Andrew, Nicola, Kirin

Johann de Boer, Veronika Jermolina, Caleb Tang, Antonia Hyde

Christian HeilmannFlame headed geek warrior!

Thanks!