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By Sandra Vassallo,
Manager e-bility Inclusive IT.
Presentation to the 2003 Information Online Conference, Sydney Australia.
Accessibility generally refers to access by people with disabilities. Depending on how a site is coded it may present barriers to people using enabling technology, that prevent them from navigating to part or all of a site. They may know information is there, but not be able to read or understand it. In some instances they may not even be aware that the information exits.
Accessibility and usability go hand in hand ...
An accessible site is one that can be fully accessed by people with a variety of disabilities, who may also be using enabling technology.
Accessibility contributes to overall usability (ie how user friendly a site is depends on the degree to which the user is required to adapt, memorise, and accommodate design features and technology).
A site can be technically "accessible", that is it can pass automated accessibility checks, but still not be usable. For example Bobby cannot determine if the language used is plain English, whether ALT text on an image link is meaningful or if tables have been used for layout or data.
Usability testing provides feedback about how easy the site is to use from your customer's perspective. It is often measured subjectively by how confident people feel when navigating a site, their level of satisfaction/frustration, ability to achieve their goals, and overall impressions. Objective measures are also taken, such as time measures, number of errors, and a standardised post test questionnaire.
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