What do you do if you need to involve accessibility experts in UX testing?

Accessibility isn't an afterthought. It should be a core principle from the very beginning of the design process. Consider the diverse needs of users with disabilities (visual, auditory, motor, cognitive). Look for potential barriers in your designs, such as low colour contrast, lack of keyboard navigation, or unclear screen reader compatibility.

- Identify aspects of the user experience that might present accessibility hurdles. - Connect with accessibility specialists to engage in the testing phase collaboratively. - Share pertinent details about UX design and testing goals with the experts. - Jointly devise testing procedures that give prominence to accessibility considerations. - Conduct user testing sessions with the participation of both UX designers and accessibility professionals. - Gather insights from users representing diverse accessibility requirements. - Refine the design iteratively based on the feedback received during testing. - Ensure that the final design adheres to or surpasses accessibility standards and recommendations.

Desde el principio, es clave pensar en cómo todos, sin importar sus habilidades, pueden usar lo que diseñamos. Al probarlo, debemos identificar cualquier obstaculo que impida el uso de nuestros productos. Es importante contar con personas que entiendan de accesibilidad nos ayuda a identificar problemas y encontrar soluciones para que todos puedan disfrutar de la experiencia. Trabajar juntos desde el principio asegura que nadie se quede fuera.

When involving accessibility experts in UX testing, collaborate with them, develop clear instructions, allocate adequate time, and integrate accessibility goals. This ensures a more inclusive and effective process

Look for experts with experience in your specific industry or user base. For instance, if you're designing an e-commerce platform, an expert familiar with accessibility for users with visual impairments would be ideal. Consider a combination of in-house and external expertise. Internal accessibility champions can provide ongoing guidance, while external experts offer fresh perspectives and specialized knowledge. Consider user groups representing disabilities relevant to your product. Their lived experiences provide invaluable insights into real-world accessibility challenges.

Once you have found the experts in accessibility, be ready to show your collaboration with your team and with the experts. It is vital to understand that every stage of the design is inviting all of you to collaborate effectively. For that, choose the best tools that are helping you to promote collaboration in your team. There are ways to understand collaboration when you are doing UX. For example, collaboration can be sharing some feedback on some particular things. It can also be touching the design and making some great or small changes in the interface of the app. Lastly, be ready to create a great environment of collaboration. I think it's one of the best solutions you can provide. Surely, your environment will bring positive changes.

In my experience it’s important to understand the need for additional support as early as possible. This should be done at the research planning stage. Often you might find yourself having to learn new skills or areas due to lack of budget or time restrictions. If this is the case I’d recommend reaching out to an expert and getting them to provide you with some guidance or at a minimum getting your research plan reviewed but multiple people .

Testing is essential for all projects in order to give great quality and to avoid mistakes. In accessibility, you need to test every proposed solutions to bring more people to the app. For example, conduct usability studies in order to really see how the users are trying to complet the tasks. For that you can choose the usability studes. Then, use your experience to test the result in your own. Try to understand coding in order to really see the answer to HTML. Moreover, testing iteratively will limit the problem on having users meeting edge cases. Be ready to really bring them to gether and help them realize that accessibility is the core of the design so you should test it very often. This is testing for the benefits of all.

Include accessibility testing alongside your regular usability testing. Accessibility experts can help you identify and address barriers that might not be apparent to typical users. Use a variety of testing methods such as automated tools, manual testing with assistive technologies, and user testing with people with disabilities.

I strongly believe in the affirmation that your team will need to be educated. Always put their needs first. Right now if you have some experience in accessibility, now is the right time to introduce it to your team. Look at the best practices that you can try and that you can implement in your UX jobs. For this, you need to be tactful. Be willing to send emails that are explaining the reason why the company invests so much on the accessibility part of the product. Now, share some documents that are leading them to understand the importance of using accessibility in their solution all accross every kind of app. Educate through action as well is a good approach to persuade your team on accessibility. Be the model.

Accessibility Compliance: Be aware of relevant accessibility standards and guidelines (e.g., WCAG) and strive to comply with them. Budget and Resources: Allocate appropriate budget and resources for accessibility testing and expert involvement. Communication and Transparency: Maintain open communication with accessibility experts and stakeholders throughout the process. Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate your team's achievements in creating a more accessible user experience.