Instant Accessibility Testing with Disabled Users Launched

The UK Usability Exchange website has launched instant user testing with disabled users. Organizations can now obtain information on what disabled people think of their website by logging on to Usability Exchange.

The launch comes right after the British Standards Institution (BSI) published new guidance (PAS 78) for those who launch and maintain websites, to ensure that any site they make or sustain is user-friendly for disabled people.

With Usability Exchange, website developers can directly receive feedback from disabled people on the accessibility and usability of their websites. Using remote viewing software, developers can even watch testers attempt to navigate through their website.

As per BSI’s new guidelines, website managers should conduct regular user-testing with disabled people. However, finding a range of disabled testers to conduct user-testing can be difficult. In addition, collecting feedback is very time-consuming. With the Usability Exchange website, a team of testers can manage the entire testing and feedback process in a simple, quick and cost-effective manner.

The Usability Exchange website has been tested with both disabled users and public and private sector organizations including Royal Mail, Orange, Fortune-Cookie, Adult Dyslexia Organization, Scottish Parliament, Wands worth Council and Leicestershire Council. The Disability Rights Commission will put the Usability Exchange service on trial starting April this year.

Through the Usability Exchange, website developers can create either simple or complex usability tests and submit them to a range of disabled users. Once a test has been submitted, organizations can monitor users’ feedback in real time, with some testers providing feedback within hours of being contacted. The Usability Exchange also offers a flexible source of income for disabled testers.

The service is not only for organizations wanting to conduct usability testing of their websites with disabled users, but also for charities and consultancies that need to conduct disabled user testing on behalf of clients. Organizations or consultancies intending to submit large numbers of tests can sign up as ‘premium partners’ to receive volume discounts.

The Usability Exchange has been set up by the award-winning phone information service ‘PhoneAnything.’ Stefan Haselwimmer, managing director of PhoneAnything said, “The idea behind the Usability Exchange is to create a platform where organizations can communicate directly with disabled people to improve website accessibility.”

Source: PR Web