Access user testing is at the heart of what I do. I can recruit a range of test participants from my own large database of users, developed from over 20 years’ of running access user testing, and reflecting a range of disabled users with different devices, access tools and preferences when using digital. I’ll recruit how many people and devices and situations depending on the available budget and what you’re trying to find out.
Test methodology
I’m equally happy to work with your own test participants or access focus groups, depending on what we want to learn from testing. The methodology I use and the format is flexible, running tests at a user’s office or home in person or via Zoom online. Types of testing can include:
- One-to-one testing with assistive technology users
- Paired or group testing
- Focus groups including a wide demographic and range of viewpoints
Before testing we’ll identify typical access user journeys and user personas, and from this will agree on a test script of ‘tasks’ for the user to carry out, so we can check how far everyone can reach the same information.
Access report and recommendations
Following testing I’ll produce a detailed access report and prioritised recommendations for removing barriers.
If you’re a public sector organisation, I’ll use the test findings to create the accessibility statement for your site – a legal requirement for public sector organisations and helpful for all others
One of the key recommendations from the Heritage Access Report 2022 – the report by VocalEyes on the accessibility of UK museum and heritage sites, which reviewed 3,150 heritage sites’ websites for accessibility – was to follow inclusive design principles. Inclusive design is central to the access support that I provide, that is to:
- Place people at the heart of the design process: involving D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, and value their experience
- Acknowledge human diversity and difference
- Offer dignity, autonomy, choice and spontaneity