SayPro Conduct Usability Testing with Disabled Users

SayPro Tasks to be Completed During the Period Conduct Usability Testing with Disabled Users Organize usability testing sessions with individuals who have various disabilities to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes made from SayPro Monthly February SCMR-17 SayPro Monthly Inclusive Design: Ensure the site is accessible to users with disabilities by SayPro Online Marketplace Office under SayPro Marketing Royalty SCMR

As part of SayPro Monthly February SCMR-17, which focuses on inclusive design, it is essential to conduct usability testing with disabled users to evaluate the effectiveness of the recent changes made to the SayPro website. These tests are a crucial part of the accessibility improvement process, ensuring that the site not only meets technical accessibility standards (such as WCAG 2.1) but is also usable by individuals with various disabilities in real-world scenarios.

The primary objective is to gather feedback from users with disabilities, evaluate the usability of the website, and identify any remaining barriers that might hinder their experience. This testing helps confirm that the changes made are meaningful and effective for users who rely on assistive technologies and alternative interaction methods.

1. Planning and Organizing Usability Testing Sessions

1.1 Define Testing Objectives

To ensure the usability testing sessions are focused and productive, clearly define the objectives of the test. This may include:

• Evaluate Navigation: Assess the ease of navigating the website using keyboard-only navigation, screen readers, and alternative input methods (such as voice control).
• Evaluate Content Accessibility: Ensure that text, images, and multimedia content are properly read aloud by screen readers and are accessible through keyboard controls.
• Assess Interactive Elements: Test the functionality of buttons, forms, links, and other interactive elements for accessibility (e.g., proper labeling, focus order, etc.).
• Test Error Handling: Check if the site’s error messages and form validations are understandable and usable by screen reader users or those with cognitive disabilities.

1.2 Identify the Target Group

To ensure the testing process is comprehensive, recruit users with a range of disabilities, including:

• Visual Impairments: Individuals who are blind, have low vision, or are colorblind.
• Hearing Impairments: Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Motor Disabilities: Individuals with limited motor skills who use keyboard navigation or alternative input devices.
• Cognitive Disabilities: Individuals with conditions such as dyslexia, ADHD, or learning disabilities who might need additional support in understanding content and navigating interfaces.

Recruiting a diverse set of participants allows the team to assess a wide array of accessibility needs and challenges.

1.3 Prepare Testing Materials

Create the necessary materials and environment for the usability testing sessions:

• Test Scenarios: Develop realistic, goal-based scenarios for the participants to complete. Examples might include:
  • Completing a purchase transaction on the site.
  • Filling out a contact form.
  • Navigating through product pages or information sections.
• Usability Metrics: Determine which usability metrics will be tracked, such as:
  • Task success rate.
  • Time to complete tasks.
  • User satisfaction and ease of navigation.
  • Identification of barriers or issues during the process.
• Assistive Technologies: Ensure that the necessary assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, magnifiers, keyboard-only setups) are available and properly configured for the testing.

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2. Conducting Usability Testing Sessions

2.1 Set Up the Testing Environment

The testing sessions should be held in an environment where participants feel comfortable and can freely express their experiences. This can be done remotely or in-person, depending on the logistics and accessibility needs of the users.

• Remote Testing: Conduct virtual sessions using video conferencing software, ensuring the user has all necessary technology (e.g., screen reader, screen magnifiers) to participate.
• In-Person Testing: If possible, hold testing sessions in an accessible physical location with proper equipment (e.g., screen readers, specialized keyboards).

2.2 Facilitate the Testing Sessions

During the usability testing sessions, provide clear instructions to participants and encourage them to complete tasks independently while thinking aloud to share their thoughts, difficulties, or feedback.

• Encourage Natural Interaction: Allow users to navigate the website as they would normally, without intervention from the facilitator, unless needed.
• Monitor User Behavior: Pay attention to how users interact with the website, noting areas where they seem to struggle, require assistance, or express frustration.
• Capture Feedback: Use surveys, interviews, or feedback forms to capture the participants’ experiences. Key areas to focus on include:
  • Overall satisfaction with the website’s accessibility.
  • The clarity of visual elements (text, colors, contrast).
  • Effectiveness of multimedia content (e.g., captions, transcripts).
  • User-friendliness of interactive elements (buttons, forms, navigation).
  • Any other specific challenges users face during navigation.

2.3 Record and Observe User Feedback

• Document User Responses: Record detailed feedback during the sessions. This could include both qualitative (e.g., user sentiments and opinions) and quantitative (e.g., success rate of tasks) data.
• Use Video and Screen Recording Tools: If applicable, use screen recording tools (with user consent) to capture the entire session and interactions with the website. This provides valuable insights into specific user actions and difficulties encountered during the process.

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3. Analyzing Usability Testing Results

3.1 Analyze User Experience Data

Once the usability testing sessions are completed, carefully analyze the data to identify recurring patterns, problems, and successes.

• Task Completion Rates: Identify which tasks users were able to complete successfully and which tasks caused difficulty. This can point to specific areas of the site that need further improvement.
• Barriers to Access: Focus on identifying any barriers that users with disabilities faced, such as:
  • Elements that were not navigable by keyboard or screen reader.
  • Images or multimedia content without proper alt text or captions.
  • Forms with unclear error messages or missing labels.
  • Problems related to contrast, text size, or font readability.
  • Confusing or complex navigation paths that hindered task completion.
• User Satisfaction: Review any feedback related to the users’ overall satisfaction with the accessibility and usability of the site. If users found certain features difficult to use, prioritize these in the next phase of development.

3.2 Prioritize Usability Issues

Based on the testing results, categorize and prioritize usability issues according to severity and impact:

• High Priority: Critical issues that completely block access or navigation (e.g., missing keyboard focus or screen reader labels).
• Medium Priority: Issues that may hinder navigation but are not critical (e.g., low contrast text, non-descriptive buttons).
• Low Priority: Minor issues that affect a small portion of users (e.g., slightly unclear wording or minor UI inconsistencies).

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4. Reporting Findings and Recommendations

4.1 Prepare a Usability Testing Report

Compile all findings into a comprehensive report. The report should include:

• Overview of Testing: Include a summary of the test objectives, methods used, and participant demographics.
• Key Findings: List the usability issues discovered, categorized by severity, with supporting evidence (e.g., video clips, screenshots, direct quotes from users).
• Recommendations: Provide specific, actionable recommendations for resolving each issue, such as:
  • Adjustments to the keyboard navigation flow.
  • Improvements to form labels and error messages.
  • Updates to multimedia content for better accessibility (e.g., captions, transcripts).
• Suggestions for Future Testing: Recommend areas for ongoing testing or further user feedback to monitor the site’s accessibility as it evolves.

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5. Implement Changes Based on Testing Results

5.1 Collaborate with Design and Development Teams

Based on the feedback from usability testing, collaborate with the design and development teams to implement necessary changes and improvements to the website. This may include:

• UI Adjustments: Updating visual elements to improve accessibility, such as better contrast, font size adjustments, or clearer text.
• Content Updates: Adding missing alt text for images, captions for videos, or transcripts for audio.
• Navigation Improvements: Improving keyboard and screen reader navigation for better task completion.
• Error Handling: Ensuring error messages are clear and accessible to all users.

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6. Continuous Improvement and Follow-up

6.1 Ongoing Monitoring

Ensure that usability testing is part of an ongoing process. Regular usability testing sessions should be conducted, particularly after major website updates or changes, to ensure that accessibility improvements remain effective over time.

6.2 Re-testing

Once changes are made, re-test the site with a similar user group to validate that the updates have successfully addressed the issues identified in previous sessions.

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Conclusion

Conducting usability testing with disabled users is a crucial step in ensuring that the SayPro website is fully accessible to everyone. By organizing testing sessions, analyzing feedback, and collaborating with development teams to make necessary adjustments, SayPro will improve the overall user experience for people with disabilities, ensuring that the website is truly inclusive and compliant with accessibility standards.