As Austria’s Barrierefreiheitsgesetz (local ratification of the European Accessibility Act) nears full ratification, digital accessibility is finally getting the spotlight it deserves. However, many companies focus solely on ticking technical compliance off their lists, often overlooking the subjective aspect of UX. In other words, they confuse accessibility with usability.

To find out more about how to include both accessibility and usability aspects into your solutions in person, join us at the Digital Accessibility Meetup in two days, on the 26th of September, in the DC Tower Vienna.

Register via the link:
https://cloud.email.pwc.com/digital-accessibility-meetup-3

Spoiler alert: even when a website adheres to the highest AAA accessibility standards, it doesn’t necessarily mean that users with disabilities can successfully accomplish their tasks on the website.

Drilldown to the terms

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to the technical framework of a website, with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) providing criteria to ensure that the code behind is accessible to assistive tools. This means, it primarily addresses the structural aspects, with a focus on accessibility score, not necessarily considering how well a user can reach the aim for which they have visited the website.

Usability

Usability, on the other hand, focuses on the quality of the user’s experience. It refers to how efficiently and satisfactorily someone—regardless of whether they have disabilities or not—can accomplish tasks on a website. While accessibility standards often enhance usability, especially for those with disabilities, usability goes beyond mere technical compliance. It ensures that users of all abilities can smoothly and intuitively interact with a website, making their journey both functional and enjoyable.

The Challenge

The key challenge is that neither accessibility nor usability alone are sufficient. A website may meet WCAG accessibility standards but still fail to be user-friendly. Usability focuses on the overall experience and efficiency, which can vary even on an accessible website. Conversely, a website may be easy to use but fall short on accessibility, excluding people with disabilities.

For example, while ALT text is a basic accessibility requirement, guidelines don’t explain how to craft ALT text that truly helps visually impaired users. This underscores the need for manual assessments to ensure that accessibility features like ALT text add real value and enhance the user experience.

The Mismatch

Accessibility and usability standards can sometimes come into conflict. For example, using red text to signal errors in forms is common for usability but problematic for users with color blindness. Similarly, visual elements like images and icons often improve usability by making information more digestible than large blocks of text, but require ALT text or transcripts for accessibility, as screen readers can’t interpret them without proper descriptions. These conflicts highlight the need for balancing both standards, ensuring that all users, regardless of ability, can navigate the website effectively. Compromises must be made to meet both accessibility and usability needs.

Creating the “Accessible Usability”

Websites and apps that focus on one and fail to prioritize both accessibility and usability face significant risks. Ignoring accessibility can exclude a significant proportion of potential users, leading to loss of clients, damage to brand reputation, and potential legal consequences for non-compliance with accessibility laws. On the other hand, poor usability frustrates all users —regardless of whether they have disabilities or not—resulting in lower customer satisfaction, reduced engagement, and diminished business success.

Hence, to move in the right direction one shall ensure “Accessible usability” for their websites:

– Go beyond accessibility compliance. Accessibility ensures that users with disabilities can access the website, while usability focuses on the overall quality and efficiency of the experience. Accessibility is objective—either a website is compliant or not—while usability is subjective, based on individual experiences. The true goal is to improve user experience for all, helping users, especially those with disabilities, to easily accomplish key tasks.

– Test with real users with and without disabilities to gain authentic insights into their experience. This ensures that accessibility features are effective and that usability issues affecting diverse audiences are identified early.

By focusing on both aspects, companies can ensure that their digital assets are inclusive and user-friendly for all audiences.

 

Author:
Dariya Sharafan (AT)