We live in a more convenient world now that things like banking and e-commerce have shifted online or to the world of apps. But this transformation potentially poses problems for people with disabilities.
If life itself has moved online, then the internet must be fully accessible for everyone. Otherwise, a segment of the population will, in effect, be barred from accessing essential services.
For ethical, legal, and even commercial reasons, institutions need to implement real online user accessibility testing for their sites and apps. Here are the four tests that on-demand accessibility crowdtesting platforms will run to help online entrepreneurs meet WCAG compliance in less time.
1. User Interviews
Ensuring apps are genuinely universally accessible requires hands-on testing by people with a variety of real disabilities. The testing at this stage needs to account for all the various disabilities, and how each one works with different software and assistive technology, such as Dragon Naturally Speaking for alternative navigation and ZoomText for magnification.
On-demand accessibility crowd-testing platforms enable web designers and app creators to perform remote user research in real-time. They can connect with the tester via chat, email, or video chat.
They’ll also be able to see the tester’s screen while they test, allowing digital creators to see how real people with disabilities interact with their apps or website before they’re launched.
2. Prototype Reviews
To ensure that online accessibility is truly universal, it’s essential to embed accessibility into every early stage of the project. It can’t just be tacked on at the end, or the results will be mediocre.
On-demand accessibility crowd-testing platforms let UX designers share links of interactive prototypes of their product with a user and guide them in a moderated session. This way, all the little kinks are ironed out way before the product launch, and before the problems become expensive and time-consuming.
Your product will be universally accessible in less time and at a reduced cost.
3. Testing for Compatibility
True online accessibility means every version of your product needs to work. To achieve this requires testing across every web browser and device.
Look for an on-demand accessibility crowd-testing platform that uses up to five testers to probe for inaccessibility. This phase of testing should be unmoderated, unlike the first two.
4. QA Sessions
The final type of testing involves a live question-and-answer session with an expert screen reader user. After assessing your product’s accessibility level, they’ll help you find ways it can be improved. If there are still any outstanding questions after each product development cycle, they’ll be answered here.
The digital revolution has been a paradigm shift that has taken the world by storm. But it must include everybody. Whether you are driven towards universal accessibility for ethical, legal, or commercial reasons, on-demand accessibility crowd-testing platforms get you the best results possible.
Connect with them early on: incorporating accessibility into each development cycle keeps you on track from the start, completing the project quicker and at a reduced cost.