Website navigation for full sighted users may seem intuitive, but for blind or low vision users, compatibility with assistive technology and clear user journeys are crucial. Up to 1 in 4 Americans have some form of disability — that's around 61 million people just in the U.S and not a pool of users you want to ignore.
A global technology company asked us:
What are key baseline metrics when using our product for customers with and without visual impairments?
Accessibility UX research solves critical usability issues and gathers data that represents your entire user population. Benchmarking research is a comprehensive test of usability, pairing metrics and data with qualitative insights to give you a full picture of your product's success.
Together, these methodologies can help product teams understand the complete experience when it comes to accessibility and provide benchmarks for future development.
Our client wanted us to conduct UX research in order to:
- Gain a holistic understanding of current pain points
- Identify key areas for usability improvements
- Create a set of baseline metrics to set targets for future product development
We answered:
AnswerLab’s UX research team identified three customer segments for the study including individuals who were blind, low vision, and sighted.
Through 1:1 remote individual interviews and using both quantitative and qualitative research methods, we completed a benchmarking study exploring the successes and challenges in completing critical user tasks for participants.
Participants completed a series of tasks over the course of the session, helping us track key metrics across all participant segments. Learn more about our recommended benchmarking metrics.
The research provided contextual findings around the use of assistive technology, including screen readers and magnification software.
Outcome:
Our research helped identify where, when, and why participants struggled to complete certain tasks due to their vision impairments and assistive technology usage.
Participants, particularly those who used NVDA screen readers, struggled to complete certain tasks due to unpredictable and inconsistent navigation. Additionally, several key accessibility shortcuts were difficult to find for participants who needed them the most.
AnswerLab established baseline metrics that will be used to set targets for future research and development.
These clearly defined metrics provided the product team with a clear snapshot of their app, enabling them to more accurately test future iterations and clearly measure improvement. It also allows for comparison among competitor products to conduct an analysis of where one experience outperforms another.
Our client left with a clear set of improvements to help them better reach customers with vision impairments, along with a benchmarking tool to use for future research.
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Our team of UX Research and Research Ops specialists focuses on solving critical accessibility concerns, diagnosing usability issues, and informing your overall product roadmap. Learn how AnswerLab’s benchmarking research program can help you meet your product UX goals.
