User testing with assistive technologies is a crucial step in ensuring that your web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This process involves observing real users as they interact with your website using various assistive technologies. This module will guide you through the key concepts, practical examples, and exercises to effectively conduct user testing with assistive technologies.

1. Understanding Assistive Technologies:

   • Screen readers (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver)
   • Screen magnifiers
   • Speech recognition software
   • Alternative input devices (e.g., switches, adaptive keyboards)

2. Benefits of User Testing:

   • Identifies real-world accessibility issues
   • Provides insights into user behavior and preferences
   • Enhances user experience for people with disabilities

3. Planning a User Testing Session:

   • Define clear objectives and goals
   • Select a diverse group of participants with various disabilities
   • Choose appropriate assistive technologies for testing

4. Conducting the Test:

   • Create realistic tasks for participants to complete
   • Observe and record user interactions
   • Encourage participants to verbalize their thoughts and challenges

5. Analyzing Results:

   • Identify common barriers and issues
   • Prioritize issues based on severity and frequency
   • Develop actionable recommendations for improvement

Objective: Ensure that the website's navigation and content are accessible to screen reader users.

Steps:

1. Preparation:

   • Install a screen reader (e.g., NVDA) on a test machine.
   • Familiarize yourself with basic screen reader commands.

2. Task Creation:

   • Task 1: Navigate to the "Contact Us" page using the main menu.
   • Task 2: Fill out and submit the contact form.

3. Conducting the Test:

   • Invite a participant who regularly uses a screen reader.
   • Ask the participant to complete the tasks while verbalizing their experience.
   • Record any difficulties or errors encountered.

4. Observation Points:

   • Is the navigation intuitive and logical?
   • Are form labels and instructions read correctly by the screen reader?
   • Are error messages accessible and informative?

Exercise: Conduct a user testing session with a screen reader.

1. Setup:

   • Choose a website you have developed or have access to.
   • Install a screen reader on your computer.

2. Participants:

   • Find a volunteer who uses a screen reader regularly.

3. Tasks:

   • Create two tasks that involve navigating the website and interacting with its content.

4. Execution:

   • Conduct the testing session, observing and taking notes on the participant's experience.

5. Analysis:

   • Identify at least three accessibility issues encountered during the test.
   • Propose solutions to address these issues.

Solution:

• Issue 1: Navigation menu items are not announced correctly.

  • Solution: Ensure all menu items have appropriate ARIA roles and labels.

• Issue 2: Form fields lack descriptive labels.

  • Solution: Add label elements with for attributes linked to each form field.

• Issue 3: Error messages are not announced.

  • Solution: Use ARIA live regions to announce dynamic content changes.

User testing with assistive technologies is an invaluable process for identifying and resolving accessibility issues. By observing real users, you gain insights that automated tools cannot provide. This module has equipped you with the knowledge to plan, conduct, and analyze user testing sessions effectively. In the next section, we will explore how to interpret accessibility reports to further enhance your web accessibility efforts.