100 points to know about...
Inclusive project management

The role of assistive technology during user testing

There are particular considerations when it comes to user recruitment, task and data analysis when testing a service/product with users with disabilities.

First, the testing facility must be accessible and provide the required assistive technology. This is a crucial initial step in determining participant characteristics. Since different assistive technologies can interact differently with the same application, it is essential to include multiple versions of these technologies in the evaluations themselves.

A person's skills and experience in using a particular assistive technology may also affect user testing. For example, a low-skilled user may not know how to use a tool and spend a lot of time figuring it out rather than utilising the test product. Furthermore, the problems identified could be because the participant does not know how to use the product effectively and efficiently.

Generally, recruiting users with a medium-high skill level with assistive technologies is better. The best solution could be to interview them by phone or in-person to evaluate whether they meet the requirements and are skilled in the use of assistive technology.

Choosing the best location

When choosing an optimal location, remote evaluation sites do not provide the same results as in-person usability tests. The usability session must be held at an accessible locationwith face-to-face sessions. An accessible location can include one or more of the following:

• Adequate proximity to public transport and accessible parking spaces.
• An accessible bathroom.
• Stair-free access to meeting rooms or access through an elevator.
• Wheelchair access into the building
• Signage about obstacles (steps, for instance) or items on workstations such as desks.