Accessibility
Usability research plays a key part in implementing accessibility throughout the stages of product design. Beyond just product evaluation, UX research can facilitate an inclusive design process.
UX and accessibility pioneers
Our team members were a part of a groundbreaking study almost 20 years ago to understand mobile phone accessibility and usability issues unique to visually impaired users. We’ve been passionate about inclusive design ever since.
Considerations for A11y research
Recruiting
Preparation
Additional planning to align test plan and session materials to ensure participants have information needed to participate.
Technology
A11y tech checks are critical to for both remote and in-person sessions. Consider if caregiver participation useful and if real-time transcription add-ons or ASL interpreters are needed.
Facility
Evaluate transportation requirements and be aware of considerations for signage, audio signposts for situational awareness, and staff to escort.
Compensation
A11y incentive distribution may need to accommodate for physical or digital payments and non-disclosures procedures for signature.
Our strategic recruiting partnerships support project success
Accessible, or A11y, research hinges on recruiting special populations. Our established relationships with recruiters, research facilities, clinical sites, and other project vendors support our consistently high-quality service delivery and project success. We have years of experience as strategic partners and we pass our cost savings and confidence in their quality along to you.
Low vision
- Central field loss
- Peripheral field loss
- Other field loss
- Night blindness
- Blurred vision
- Hazy vision
- Light/Contrast Sensitivity (Photophobia)
- Low visual acuity (partially sighted)
- Partial blindness
- Blind
- People who use screen readers
Hearing-impaired
- Deaf – cannot use assistive devices
- Degree of hearing loss (mild, moderate, severe, profound)
- Hearing Loss / hard of hearing
- People who use:
- Hearing aids
- Implants
- Read lips
- Use sign language
- Sign language interpreters
- Captioning
- Text messaging
- Telephone amplifiers
- Flashing and vibrating alarms
- Audio loop systems
- Infrared listening devices
- Portable sound amplifiers
- TTY
Low-mobility
- Upper limb(s) disability
- Lower limb(s) disability
- Manual dexterity
- Disability in coordination with different organs of the body
- Lack of strength to walk, grasp, or lift objects.
- People who use:
- Wheelchairs
- Walkers
- Joysticks
- Head pointers
- Trackballs
- Eye- or head-trackers
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
Our experience with special populations
Our recruit experience includes HCPs in virtually every specialty, a variety of patient populations, and individuals with low-vision, hearing-impairments, and low-mobility. Here is a sample of participants we’ve recruited:
HCPs
- Psychiatrists
- Nurses
- Caregivers
- Surgeons
- Pharmacists
- Critical Care Doctors
- Primary Care Physicians
- Nutritionists
- Cardiologists
- Anesthesiologists
- Social Workers
- Medical Assistants
- Neurologists
Patient populations
- Visually impaired
- Schizophrenia
- Alzheimer’s
- Bipolar Disorder
- Diabetes
- Psoriasis
- Crohn’s
- Hemophilia
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Migraine
- Cancer
Accessibility insights
BLOG
CASE STUDIES
Accessibility and medical human factors research: 3 questions to ask your product teams
One of the best parts of my job as a human factors researcher is interacting with participants during studies. Early medical device studies generally have bare-bones definitions of intended user groups that become more defined throughout the product development life...
Improve medical device safety with these packaging design tips
Packaging is often one of the last pieces to come together in R&D activities, yet it is often the first experience users have with a new product. The design of a product’s packaging can set the tone for the entire user experience. Within the medical device space,...
CASE STUDIES
A major telecommunications company sought to understand mobile phone accessibility and usability issues unique to visually impaired users.