Making Websites Usable For PWDs And More… Lessons for disability marketing George Spohn (802) 367-6161 www.sitecues.com gspohn@aisquared.com @gnspohn

World leader in vision accessibility and accommodation for 40 years World’s best-selling computer screen reader and screen magnifier (JAWS and Zoom Text) Provider of magnifiers and braille displays Distributed in over 70 countries worldwide Most Fortune 1000 companies use our products

US Population With Print Disabilities Demographics US Population With Print Disabilities Blind & low vision Includes blind and non-correctable low vision 9% 21 M Learning disabilities Includes dyslexia, ADHD, autism 15% 46 M Low literacy Individuals reading below 5th grade level 21% 65 M Non-native speakers English-as-a-second language (ESL) 5% 13 M Seniors & boomers Includes the 50% of seniors with one or more diagnosed disability 39% 127M All percentages based on US population Source: US Census, American Community Survey, National Institute of Health, National Adult Literacy Survey, National Health Interview Survey

Web usability research

Survey objectives and methodology Survey Methodology Survey Focus Conducted November 2015 and September 2016 400+ online respondents from the US Online survey Our survey population: Desktop & laptop users, age 50 and older Smartphone users, age 30 and older Representative mix of gender, income, and geography Questions on 4 topics Challenges experienced during web use Frequency of challenges Use of built-in accessibility tools Reactions once challenges are experienced Research objective: To understand challenges among seniors and the general population when using the web

Usability challenges are common for web users over 50 25% experience regular and consistent challenges Website usability challenges on a computer (age 50+) Comments Only 9% claim to never experience challenges with websites 25% experience regular or consistent challenges Website designs and the tools that older web users employ result in frequent usability challenges Question: How regularly do you find it difficult to read or use a website because of the way it was designed or the way it appears on your computer screen? Source: Sitecues web user survey (2015) There is a significant unmet need to improve website usability

Mobile website challenges are common 26% of smartphone users experience regular or consistent challenges Website usability challenges on a smartphone (age 30+) Share of older adults with website challenges Comments In addition to the large population with regular challenges, 2/3 of adults experience situational challenges with mobile websites Question: How regularly do you find it difficult to read or use a website because of the way it was designed or the way it appears on your computer screen? Source: Sitecues mobile user survey (2016) There is a significant unmet need to improve web usability for BOTH desktop and mobile

Many more cite physical challenges than self-identify as having a disability Reason for website challenges using a computer (age 50+) Comments Only 19% self-identify as having a disability Situational conditions, such as eye fatigue, have important impact on website usability Question: Do you ever have difficulty using a computer because of: Source: Sitecues web user survey (2015) Accessibility isn’t only about disability

Many factors cause mobile challenges: environment, device, design, ability Reasons for website challenges on a smartphone (age 30+) Question: How often do the following make it more difficult to use websites on your smartphone? Source: Sitecues mobile user survey (2016) A greater number of factors impact mobile website usability

Website usability challenges are diverse, and experienced by a considerable fraction of older web users Website challenges on a computer (age 50+) Comments Top-tier issues impact >1/3 of web users Page layout Page navigation Reading text Second-tier issues impact 5- 10% of web users Finding the mouse Perceiving colors Question: In cases where a website is difficult for you to read or use, what particular aspects of the website do you find most challenging? (click all that apply) Source: Sitecues web user survey (2015) Websites need improvement in multiple areas

Challenges with mobile websites are varied, and experienced by many Website challenges on a smartphone(age 30+) Comments The frequency of challenges on mobile is equivalent or higher than on computers Question: How often do you find it difficult to perform these activities on websites with your smartphone? Source: Sitecues mobile user survey (2016) Challenges extend to the general user population, and include many mobile power users

Built-in accessibility tools are generally known, but seldom used on computers Use of built-in accessibility tools on a computer (age 50+) Comments Built-in accessibility tools include all functionality built into the operating system or browser to make content and applications more accessible Zoom / magnifier Font size Mouse size & color Line thickness Colors & contrast Use of pinch zoom in mobile has greatly increased awareness of built-in accessibility tools Question: Have you ever used the built-in accessibility tools (e.g., Browser Zoom, Large Fonts) included in your computer’s operating system or web browser? Source: Sitecues web user survey (2015) Web users need better tools

Mobile users want better accessibility features Interest in accessibility features on a smartphone (age 30+) Comments Most mobile users want improved zoom and a simplified / text-only view A sizeable minority want better font size, colors or audio output capabilities Question: Which of these would make websites more usable on your smartphone? Source: Sitecues mobile user survey (2016) Mobile web users need better tools

Website users react strongly to poor website usability, both on computers and on smartphones Reaction after experiencing a website challenge on a desktop (age 50+) Comments For a majority, poor website usability translates to lost page views and/or loss of patronage Only a small faction employ alternatives – either calling by phone or getting help to use the site Smartphone users behave similarly (not pictured) Question: When you find a website to be difficult to read or use, what alternative approaches do you use? (click all that apply) Source: Sitecues web user survey (2015) Website owners cannot afford poor website usability

Summary Many adults have print disabilities – more than are counted in “traditional” disability statistics Website usability is a major issue – due to the size of the print disabled population PLUS situational needs Mobile devices and mobile websites haven’t “fixed” the problem Existing tools are insufficient -- users want better tools Organizations pay a high price for poor website usability in the form of lost business and higher support costs

Recommendations for disability marketing Website & digital compliance is a critical first step, but it isn’t enough Focus on usability to improve the effectiveness of your marketing and customer engagement Use PWDs and accessibility principles to identify fixes that could benefit a much larger audience Raise awareness – the #1 obstacle to accessibility -- among management, design, and development teams

If you give us your business card, we will get you this presentation For More Information George Spohn Regional Sales Manager, Eastern Region, USA +1 (802) 367-6161 gspohn@aisquared.com @gnspohn www.sitecues.com @sitecues sales@sitecues.com 857-259-5272 If you give us your business card, we will get you this presentation

Best practices for disability marketing on the web

Create a WCAG compliant website as an important first step Tool #1 WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) are technical standards set forth by the W3C (Worldwide Web Consortium) to promote website accessibility Compliant websites help web users with the most significant challenges, including web users who are: Blind Deaf keyboard-only Compliant websites provide limited assistance to: Users who do not self-identify as having a disability People who do not use assistive technology Users with minor impairments More is needed to make a website usable for most seniors

Best practices in website design Tool #2 Follow inclusive design principles for Color + Contrast Font + Thickness vs Simplicity + Consistency Proximity + Separation vs

Use a vision simulator to better understand what your visitors see Tool #3 NoCoffee; bit.do/coffee0 Free Chrome extension 5000+ users – Used at Amazon Build awareness & empathy & Made during a snowstorm by our Chief Architect Aaron Leventhal Caveats: Not medically accurate Mouse not affected

User personas should include different user abilities Tool #4 What impacts user ability: Age – e.g., vision loss, diminished dexterity Education – e.g., low literacy, non- native English Disability – e.g., learning disabilities, low vision Device Type – e.g., smartphone, tablet User Situation – e.g., low light, high noise Cognition Vision Hearing Motor Personas should go beyond device type and user situation

Test for both compliance AND usability … evaluated based on adherence to guidelines and standards … measured based on user impact and feedback Speed to complete task Task error rate Information retention Section 508 Accessibility projects can benefit from usability measurement

Tools for website accessibility & usability Font resizer Alternative View Speech Multifunction www.readspeaker.com www.sitecues.com www.readability.com www.usablenet.com www.reciteme.com www.captivoice.com www.essentialaccessiblity.com www.texthelp.com www.audioeye.com