Whenever I am presented with steps on how to conduct an accessibility evaluation, user testing with real users is always listed as a step. What I rarely see is information on why testing is so important, what the benefits from testing real users are, and what you get by testing with real users that you can’t get by using accessibility tools or testing with your own screen reader.
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Posts Tagged ‘Accessibility’
How Usability Testing Adds Value to Accessibility Evaluations
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011Does your website legally need to be accessible?
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010/* < ![CDATA[ */
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The other day I was asked the question “To what level does any website legally need to be made accessible?”
“The influence of web accessibility on business and industry is more significant when the demands of a client, or potential client, like the US federal government, must be met.” (WebAim.org)
The law that exists today says that if you are the federal government or supply electronic and information technology goods and services to the federal government, then yes, you must comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508 Standards). This law requires “Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities.” (section508.gov)
A Detailed Look at HTML5 for UX Designers
Monday, August 9th, 2010/* < ![CDATA[ */
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Lately, I’ve been preaching about how it’s important for UX designers to understand the technology our designs will be implemented in. I’m going to try to put this gospel into practice by unpacking for you the hidden treasures that HTML5 offers UX designers. HTML5 is a big deal. Maybe the biggest deal in Web technology since JavaScript. (I’m still in denial about Flash.) HTML5 is going to make it easy for developers to make websites with desktop application interactivity, performance, and functionality, which is going to open up vast horizons of possibility for UX designers.
2010 Conferences
Monday, January 18th, 2010It’s a new year. Time to start thinking about what conferences to attend in 2010. The following is a list of conferences we at Evantage are likely to attend (or have attended in the past) due to their content and location. This is not a compr
ehensive list. There are some conferences such as IDEA that I would recommend but they do not currently have information listed about a 2010 conference. Likewise, the Usability Professional Association annual conference is another one I would typically recommend, but due to its location in Munich, Germany this year, it doesn’t appear feasible (unless you have the travel budget). (more…)
What tools are people using to view your web site?
Friday, August 14th, 2009/* < ![CDATA[ */
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When designing a site, it is important to remember that not all of your users will be accessing your web site using a computer screen, keyboard, or standard computer mouse. People with disabilities use a variety of adaptive technologies to access web sites.
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Four WCAG 2.0 Guidelines that could Improve Readability for all Audiences
Monday, July 6th, 2009I often hear how accessibility can help everyone. One
of the most common examples I’ve heard is that sidewalk ramps not only help people in wheel chairs but they also help people rolling luggage, strollers, hot dog carts, grocery carts, etc. Along the same lines the WCAG 2.0 guidelines listed below are by far some of my favorite because they can improve content in a web site for everyone. These guidelines should not only be applied to accessibility, they should also be applied to style guidelines and user interface guidelines for a site.
Tips for Evaluating a Site for Accessibility
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009d;”>
Accessibility is the development of information systems flexible enough to accommodate the needs of the broadcast range of users regardless of age or disability.
When creating a site that is accessible, make sure that it is accessible no matter what Internet browser is being used. You will also want to take into consideration that there are different types of assistive devices that users may be using and of these devices there are different versions of each device. Below are few tips and considerations to take when evaluating a site for accessibility.
Sustainability = Accessibility
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009I received the new Dwell magazine (Volume 9, issue 6, May 2009 “Beyond Green”) a couple of weeks ago. As I read the editor’s note about sustainability, I kept replacing the word sustainability with ac
cessibility.
In Dwell Sam Grawe, editor-in-chief, states we as individuals need to make micro-decisions to improve sustainability and “government, corporations, and other institutions need to lay a framework that makes adopting those decisions easy.” (May 2009) The 508 law (Rehabilitation Act) was passed “to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.” (http://www.section508.gov/) Currently, the law applies only to federal agencies. Corporations and we as individuals are responsible for ensuring that this expands to other areas.
