summary

In this episode of the Web Usability podcast, Lucy Collins speaks with Jon O'Donnell, a Senior Accessibility Specialist at the Department for Work and Pensions. They discuss Jon's personal journey into accessibility, the importance of document accessibility, common issues found in documents, and the need for a mindset shift regarding accessibility practices. Jon shares insights on the DWP's proactive approach to improving accessibility and the impact of assistive technologies like Dragon software on his work and life. The conversation emphasises the importance of making documents accessible to unlock the potential of individuals with disabilities and create a more inclusive society.

takeaways

• Jon's journey into accessibility began from personal experience.
• Document accessibility is often overlooked but crucial for inclusion.
• Accessibility should be seen as a standard practice, not an extra task.
• Good design benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities.
• DWP has invested in an accessibility team to improve practices.
• Training and awareness are key to improving document accessibility.
• Micro barriers can significantly impact productivity and self-worth.
• Assistive technologies can empower individuals with disabilities.
• Creating accessible documents is a matter of good practice and efficiency.
• Accessibility is essential for unlocking the potential of all individuals.

titles

• The Hidden Importance of Document Accessibility
• The Future of Accessibility in the Public Sector

Sound Bites

• "I realised how much of a barrier there was."
• "Documents often get overlooked in the accessibility space."
• "It's about communicating with your audience."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Web Usability and Accessibility

01:09 John O'Donnell's Journey into Accessibility

03:56 The Importance of Document Accessibility

09:47 Common Accessibility Issues in Documents

15:14 Changing Mindsets Around Accessibility

20:04 DWP's Approach to Accessibility

25:08 Personal Experiences with Accessibility Tools

27:58 Unlocking Potential Through Accessibility

summary

In this episode, Lucy Collins and her team discuss the importance of accessibility in various digital spaces, including websites, mobile apps, forms, office documents, PDFs, emails, e-learning, social media, and intranets. They emphasise the need to consider accessibility in all digital content and highlight the impact it can have on improving the user experience for everyone. The team provides practical tips and considerations for creating accessible content in each of these spaces.

keywords

accessibility, digital spaces, websites, mobile apps, forms, office documents, PDFs, emails, e-learning, social media, intranets

takeaways

• Accessibility is important in all digital spaces, not just websites.
• Improving accessibility benefits people with disabilities and improves the user experience for all users.
• Mobile apps should be built with accessibility in mind, considering factors like orientation, target size, responsiveness, and keyboard operability.
• Forms should be designed with clear instructions, expectations, and error messaging to ensure usability for all users.
• Office documents, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files, should follow accessibility guidelines, such as using proper heading structure, plain language, and relevant alt text for images.
• PDFs should be avoided if possible, but if necessary, they should be created from accessible Word documents and checked for accessibility using tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro.
• Emails should have descriptive link text, proper heading structure, and readable font sizes and styles.
• Social media content should include alt text for images, use camel case for hashtags, and avoid relying on emojis to convey important information.
• E-learning should consider different learning styles and provide alternative routes for users with different accessibility needs.
• Intranets should be accessible for internal staff, as they play a crucial role in efficient work and service delivery.
• Adopting an accessibility-first mentality in all digital content creation will lead to better usability and inclusivity.

titles

• Designing Usable Forms
• Writing Accessible Emails

Sound Bites

• "Accessibility should be a basic human right."
• "Apps are more important for disabled users."
• "Check your documents with the accessibility checker before sending or publishing."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Overview

02:34 Building Accessible Mobile Apps

04:26 Designing Usable Forms

08:09 Creating Accessible Office Documents

10:57 Avoiding Inaccessible PDFs

12:44 Writing Accessible Emails

16:58 Ensuring Accessibility in Social Media

22:26 Considerations for Accessible E-Learning

26:07 Making Intranets Accessible

30:23 Adopting an Accessibility-First Mentality

Summary

In this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Scott Fulton, Director of Digital Rebels, about the importance of evidence-based design in creating effective digital services. Scott shares his experience of becoming a digital leader and the pivotal moment when he realised the importance of user-centered design. They discuss the common mistakes organisations make in designing websites and intranets, such as being organisation-centric and not prioritising user needs. Scott emphasises the need for organisations to be open to being wrong and to prioritise customer empathy. He also shares his insights on coaching and training teams to thrive in the digital age.

Keywords

evidence-based design, user-centered design, website design, intranet design, customer empathy, coaching, training

Takeaways

• Designing digital services based on assumptions and without user evidence can lead to ineffective and unhelpful experiences for users.
• Organisations should prioritize customer empathy and be willing to admit when they don't know something, in order to gather evidence and design better digital services.
• Intranets often suffer from egocentric thinking and department-centric structures, which can result in content that is not user-driven.
• Investing in employees and providing them with the information they need to do their jobs better ultimately benefits the external customers.
• Cutting through the noise and prioritizing tasks that deliver value to customers is essential for teams to thrive in the digital age.

Titles

• Prioritising Customer Empathy and User Needs
• Common Mistakes in Website and Intranet Design

Sound Bites

• "Design your website...

Summary

In this episode, Lucy, Sophie and Ken discus the benefits of testing with users and shares examples of different types of testing they have conducted over the years. The key themes that emerge from their testing experiences are the importance of testing early with users, the value of user testing in both digital and physical spaces, and the difference between behavioural and attitudinal insights. Testing anything that will be used by customers ensures that the end result is built on user evidence and incorporates changes based on user behaviors and expectations.

Keywords

user testing, benefits of testing, early testing, digital testing, physical testing, behavioral insights, attitudinal insights

Takeaways

• Testing with users is a worthwhile exercise that can provide valuable insights for improving the user experience.
• Testing early with users can save time and money by identifying issues and making changes before a product is fully developed.
• User testing is applicable to both digital and physical spaces, and can provide insights into user behaviors and attitudes.
• Behavioural and attitudinal insights are both important in understanding user experiences and preferences.
• Testing anything that will be used by customers ensures that the end result is built on user evidence and incorporates changes based on user behaviors and expectations.

Titles

• The Benefits of Testing with Users
• Testing Early: Saving Time and Money

Sound Bites

• "Put it in front of someone, anyone you can, anyone who's not been involved in building it, especially someone who is from a different demographic or different level of experience, digital...

Summary

In this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Dave Martin, Digital Learning Design Lead for the Cabinet Office, about the importance of accessibility in e-learning. They discuss the scale of e-learnings in the civil service, the accessibility requirements for compliance activities, and the challenges of applying WCAG guidelines to e-learning. They emphasise the need for choice and options in e-learning design, as well as the importance of involving people with disabilities in testing. They also highlight the collaborative approach between suppliers, authoring tool providers, and the cross-government accessible design network in improving accessibility in e-learning.

Keywords

web usability, podcast, accessibility, e-learning, civil service, compliance activities, WCAG guidelines, choice, options, testing, collaboration

Takeaways

• E-learning in the civil service reaches a large audience, with over 600,000 users and 300 e-learning modules.
• Accessibility is important in e-learning to ensure compliance activities and provide choice for learners.
• Applying WCAG guidelines to e-learning can be challenging, but it is necessary to make the content accessible.
• Collaboration between suppliers, authoring tool providers, and the cross-government accessible design network is crucial in improving accessibility in e-learning.
• Involving people with disabilities in testing is essential to ensure the accessibility of e-learning.

Titles

• Challenges of Applying WCAG Guidelines to E-Learning
• The Need for Choice and Options in E-Learning Design

Sound Bites

• "Accessibility is important because the amount of people who want to access and use...

Summary

In this episode, the Web Usability team, Lucy, Sophie and Ken discuss the challenges of achieving compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). They explore why many websites are not accessible, including a lack of understanding, limited resources, and reliance on automated tools. The team also highlight common technical, content, and design issues that arise during accessibility testing. They emphasise the importance of involving people with disabilities in testing and the need for a cultural shift towards accessibility. The episode concludes with a reminder that digital accessibility is a basic human right and should be a fundamental consideration in all digital projects.

Keywords

web usability, digital accessibility, WCAG compliance, technical issues, content issues, design issues, automated testing, involving people with disabilities

Takeaways

• Many websites are not compliant with WCAG due to a lack of understanding, limited resources, and reliance on automated testing tools.
• Common technical issues include a lack of keyboard accessibility, incorrect tabbing order, and inaccessible labels.
• Content issues often involve improper use of alt text, particularly for decorative images, and the lack of accessible alternatives for videos.
• Design issues frequently arise from poor color contrast and the use of inaccessible color palettes.
• To improve accessibility, organizations should prioritize it as a cultural value, educate themselves on the guidelines, conduct accessibility audits, involve people with disabilities in testing, and continually strive for improvement.

Sound Bites

• "People don't prioritise accessibility partly because they can't fit it into their plans. Also because they don't appreciate the value of digital accessibility."
• "People who think they're compliant or think they have done enough to be compliant, but they are relying on automated checking tools, accessibility overlays and plugins,...

Summary

In this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Richard Austin, director at David Austin Roses, about the journey of developing a new website for the brand. They discuss the importance of user experience, the need for a mobile-first approach, and the balance between user needs and business needs. Richard shares his experience of working with Web Usability and highlights the value of user research and evidence-based decision-making. He also expresses his hopes for the new website, including increased conversion rates, improved user experience, and a stronger brand perception.

Keywords

website development, user experience, mobile-first, user research, evidence-based decision-making, conversion rates, brand perception

Takeaways

• Invest in user research and evidence-based decision-making when developing a new website.
• Balance user needs and business needs to create a successful website.
• A mobile-first approach is essential, as mobile traffic and conversions continue to increase.
• Use a methodical and user-centric approach to website development.
• Define digital personas to guide the design and development process.
• Information architecture tree testing can provide valuable insights into user navigation and labeling.
• Consider the impact of the new website on brand perception and user experience.
• Invest whatever you can in user research, even if it's a small budget, to gain valuable insights.

Sound Bites

• "I absolutely loved...

Summary

The Web Usability team, Lucy Collins, Ken Groom and Sophie Knight, are gathered around the microphone to ask the question 'is your website actually any good?'.

We explore what makes a great website and how to avoid entering the website hall of shame. In particular, we discuss the importance of usability, findability, and meeting user needs.

We share examples of websites that have done a good job and discuss the challenges of balancing user needs with organisational priorities and the importance of understanding who the users are.

Some useful resources:

https://www.webusability.co.uk/blog/7-steps-for-developing-an-effective-website/

https://www.webusability.co.uk/blog/what-is-ux/

Keywords

website, usability, findability, user needs, desirable, credible, valuable, design, function, balance, good website, user-focused, user goals, organisational messaging, testing with users, website development process, organisational strategy, information architecture, content gaps, continuous improvement

Takeaways

• A great website is usable, findable, and meets user needs.
• Desirability, credibility, and value are also important factors.
• Usability and findability can be improved through user research and testing.
• Balancing user needs with organisational priorities is crucial.
• Design should not compromise usability and user experience. A good website prioritises user needs and goals over organisational messaging
• Testing with users is essential throughout the website development process