Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Planning and conducting remote usability studies for accessibility
Summary
There’s a lot to consider if you’re going to do accessibility research effectively and respectfully. Using examples from previous user research and accessibility studies she’s conducted throughout her career, Rebecca shares lessons learned and guidance to consider when planning and executing remote usability testing with participants with disabilities, including the four specific disability categories: visual, motor, hearing and cognitive.
Key Insights
-
•
Over one billion people worldwide have long-term disabilities, making digital accessibility critical.
-
•
Accessibility research must consider a wide range of disabilities including hidden ones like mental health and learning difficulties.
-
•
Pre-research calls increase participant comfort by tailoring communication and understanding assistive technology use.
-
•
Recruitment for accessibility studies takes longer and requires specificity about disability types and assistive technologies.
-
•
External recruitment vendors like AbilityNet, Fable, and Barrier Break specialize in recruiting participants with disabilities.
-
•
Many people with disabilities are motivated to participate if the product is relevant to their daily lives and the research aims to improve accessibility.
-
•
Remote usability tools often lack full accessibility and scheduling tools are particularly deficient for participants with disabilities.
-
•
Screen readers vary greatly in speed and customization; experienced users like Ben can read technical documents at 700 words per minute.
-
•
Communication adjustments such as live captioning and sign language interpreters require extra coordination in remote sessions.
-
•
Inclusive research involves focusing on product issues and accommodations rather than probing participants about their disabilities.
Notable Quotes
"Digital accessibility means making your online products usable by everyone regardless of how they access them."
"One in five people in the UK have a disability; it's about 1 in four in the US and 1 in 5 in Australia."
"People with disabilities are more willing to participate in studies if it's to make a product they use more accessible."
"If your product isn’t accessible to assistive technology, participants might blame themselves instead of the product."
"Hidden disabilities like mental health and ADHD often cause people not to disclose their needs, so anonymity is key."
"Using recruitment vendors requires very detailed and specific descriptions of accessibility needs for success."
"There’s no fully accessible scheduling tool for recruiting participants with access needs; much manual effort is involved."
"When communicating with sign language interpreters remotely, remember to address the participant directly, not the interpreter."
"Some participants prefer tasks to be direct and focused, without lengthy scenario explanations."
"Inclusive research means framing questions about how the product could be improved, not about the user’s disability."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"When someone stops learning, they get bored and look for something new — continuous learning is essential for retention."
Nicole UmphressDelivering Design Education During a Global Pandemic: Lessons Learned
June 9, 2022
"The biggest shift is the power moving from supply side to demand side in media."
Patrick Boehler Madison KarasThe service shift: transforming media organizations to create real value through design
November 19, 2025
"The greatest sign of success for a teacher is just to be able to say the children are now working as if I did not exist."
Brenna FallonLearning Over Outcomes
October 24, 2019
"Ruthless prioritization feeds into the punishment culture: do more, feel worse, keep going."
Tutti TaygerlyMake Space to Lead
June 12, 2021
"Our mission is to support the methods and processes devoted to producing high quality design."
Jilanna WilsonDistributed DesignOps Management
February 26, 2019
"Hackathons are a fun activity to spend some creative time together and then go back to making the stuff that we normally make."
Jeff GothelfInnovation Studios: the Engines of Enterprise Experimentation
May 14, 2015
"The plan always changes, but we need to be ready."
Kristin SkinnerOpening Keynote: Org Design for Design Orgs
November 6, 2017
"Think about alignment versus coherence. Coherence means the system makes sense even if parts go different directions."
Jen BriselliLearning Is The Engine: Designing & Adapting in a World We Can’t Predict
April 16, 2025
"Without proper evaluation, you’re just building a demo – demos are easy, quality production is hard."
Peter Van DijckBuilding the Rosenbot
June 4, 2024
