Accessibility and Usability Report offered by Jacob Nielson
Nielson Group offers research data as a gift for the New Year.
Jacob Nielson, whom I have long admired for his excellent research into web usability, is offering a fantastic PDF report for free on his website. I am not sure if this is a limited time offer, so go download it NOW.
The report addresses factors that are usually overlooked when companies create accessible websites – usability. Having first-hand experience with testing accessible yet unusable designs and programming, this document is a must read. Simply creating a website that is accessible does not make a website easy to use. In some cases it can make it more difficult. Often overlooked, usability is a prime component of accessibility. While most people focus on the physical aspects of accessibility, there are also the cognitive aspects where people need the site to be simple, consistent, and understandable.
Bottom line: Being technically accurate in accessibility is great for machines, but not always good for users.
Beyond ALT Text: Making the Web Easy to Use for Users With Disabilities
75 Best Practices for Design of Websites and Intranets, Based on Usability Studies with People Who Use Assistive Technology
December 19th, 2008 - 08:42
Although I have come across this almost a year after it was posted I am happy to confirm that the report is still available online in mid December 2008. After a brief skim through it looks like an incredibly useful resource so thanks for posting about it here.
July 13th, 2009 - 11:24
Your opinion is very important for analysis of the users needs for assistive technology and the daily influence for a better life quality http://www.mareproject.eu
Only 6 questions.
Thank you for your help.