unraveled

New paper: Accessible and Usable Web Design

Preface

This is the seventh and final installment of my graduate school work: my final thesis report, Accessible and Usable Web Design. For a background on my graduate work, please read the preface of the first installment, the interaction design process.

Abstract

The application of the accessibility and usability principles helps to ensure more accessible and usable Web sites. Accessibility and usability are typically addressed separately, but several recent studies have studied the convergence of these topics. This study aims to further explore the relationships between these two concepts through direct observation of both disabled and non-disabled users. A website was created which complied with both accessibility and usability guidelines. This website was then tested with both disabled and non-disabled users in order to identify accessibility and usability problems that are outside the scope the guidelines. The resulting data suggested several recommendations for creating more accessible and usable websites. Additionally, this study develops a framework for creating accessible and usable websites.

The full 62-page report is available as a PDF from the Articles & Papers section of my professional site.

Postscript

Since I submitted this report, many articles on the relationship between accessibility and usability have been published - most recently the excellent Working with Others: Accessibility and User Research by Maurizio Boscarol. Even with all the attention this topic has been given, it’s still a relatively new concept for many web designers, so it’s important to continue researching this complex relationship, especially as websites become more complex and interactive.

All installments in this series:

  1. The interaction design process
  2. A review of DataTiles
  3. Designing a cashpoint
  4. Culture and web design
  5. Serco: an independent usability consultancy
  6. An evaluation of exhibit design at the London Science Museum
  7. Thesis report: Accessible and Usable Web Design

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