Day 35: A11y Verification Testing as Part of User Testing

Published on 04 Jan 2019

• journal
• resources
• was
• quality-assurance

Today's mission was to reflect on user (usability) testing, and search for accessibility verification testing (AVT). AVT was new to me, and I had a harder time finding that exact word combination when searching the web. So, I ended up reading about accessibility user testing and manual testing a developer can perform on her own to emulate user testing.

• Read Accessibility Testing (W3C wiki).
• Browsed Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility throughout Design.

• Accessibility testing is subset of usability testing.
• User testing for accessibility requires recruiting real users with disabilities. The rest is much like general user testing:
  • observing them in an environment familiar to them,
  • assigning tasks to accomplish,
  • observing unspoken actions,
  • scrutinizing results, and
  • conclude what changes need to happen.

Designing for Guidance (Microsoft) [PDF] offers tips about the varied learning styles that people have. With the approach of inclusive design in mind, this tiny booklet will make you think more critically when you develop a product or learning course for your large audience.