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Accessibility Testing

Learn about accessibility testing with PlaybookUX

Chelsea avatar
Written by Chelsea
Updated over a week ago

Accessibility ensures all people can access your company’s products. Some organizations are required by law to ensure the accessibility of their products and services. Laws in your locale may vary. Learn about the United States rules on accessibility here

What type of disabilities should you include in testing?

The web is inherently visual. Testing with participants with visual disabilities – blind, low vision, color blind, etc is important.

Since websites require user interaction (i.e. scrolling, and filling in forms etc) include people who have difficulty with fine motor control or those who cannot use a mouse.

Other disabilities you might want to consider are hearing impaired, especially if your site uses audio, and people with cognitive impairments that can tax memory.

The broad categories of disabilities are:

  • Hearing (deaf or hard of hearing)

  • Speech and voice-related

  • Vision (blindness, low vision, color blindness)

  • Manual dexterity

  • Mobility (walker users, wheelchair users)

  • Cognitive (dyslexia and autism)

PlaybookUX Accessibility Testing

  • Screening questions can be used to have participants self-identify disabilities

  • PlaybookUX supports screen readers for desktop and mobile testing

  • Participants are able to alter font sizes and weight while testing

Data collection

Per HIPAA, we do not collect sensitive information about health and mental status. We provide guidance on screener questions.

You may qualify participants who are living with a disability through self-identification via screener questions. You may not ask information related to medical records, medical history, or other Personal Health Information as defined by The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”). Prohibited information that cannot be requested includes

  • Specific treatment and medical details

  • Hospital and doctor names

  • Medical records

  • Drivers license, passport, SSN or other government-issued identification

  • Other PHI (personal health information) subject to HIPAA

Screening criteria

First, set up a screener question to ensure participants are comfortable providing any answers about their mental or physical status.

We recommend this wording:

During this study we will ask questions pertaining to your mental and physical status. None of this information will be shared publicly and it will only be used by the research team to help improve our products. You might be required to share sensitive information. Are you willing to participate in this study?

  • Yes, I am willing to participate in this study (Qualify)

  • No, I am not willing to participate in this study (Disqualify)

We suggest the following questions to find participants who have disabilities.

Visual disabilities

What, if any, difficulties do you have seeing?

  • I use corrective lenses

  • Complete vision loss

  • Limited vision

  • Color Blindness

  • I do not have visual difficulties

  • Prefer not to answer

Hearing impairments & disabilities

What, if any, difficulties are you currently experiencing with hearing?

  • I have partial hearing loss

  • I have complete hearing loss

  • I do not have difficulties with hearing

  • Prefer not to answer

Physical disabilities

What, if any, difficulties do you have walking up or down 12 stairs?

  • No difficulty

  • Some difficulty

  • I can’t do it at all

  • I do not have difficulties walking up or down stairs

  • Prefer not to answer

What, if any, difficulties do you have walking on level ground?

  • I can walk without assistance

  • I cannot walk without assistance

  • I do not have difficulties walking on level ground

  • Prefer not to answer

Do you use any of the following to walk?

  • Cane or walking stick

  • Walker

  • Crutches

  • Wheelchair or scooter

  • Artificial limb (leg/foot)

  • Someone’s assistance

  • Other

  • I can walk without assistance

  • Prefer not to answer

Manual dexterity impairments

What, if any, difficulties do you have with using your hands to do things like pick up small objects or use a keyboard or mouse?

  • Some difficulty

  • A lot of difficulty

  • I cannot use my hands at all

  • No difficulty

  • Prefer not to answer

Cognitive disabilities

What, if any, difficulties do you have remembering or concentrating?

  • Some difficulty

  • Cannot do at all

  • Other

  • No difficulty

  • Prefer not to answer

How often, if at all, do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating?

  • Sometimes

  • Often

  • All of the time

  • I do not have difficulty remembering or concentrating

  • Prefer not to answer

Another way of screening participants is to ask a general question (similar to the below example) and then ask more specific questions about each status that you’re looking to target.

Do any of the following statements apply to you?

  • I am dyslexic

  • I have a learning disability

  • I have problems concentrating

  • I have memory problems

  • I have difficulty walking

  • I have difficulties picking up small objects

  • I have visual difficulties

  • None of the above apply to me

Resources

For more information on web accessibility and legal requirements, here are helpful resources:

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