Usability Evaluation of Email Applications by Blind Users
Brian Wentz and Jonathan Lazar
Journal of Usability Studies, Volume 6, Issue 2, February 2011, pp. 75 - 89
Abstract
In this article, we discuss results of usability evaluations of desktop and web-based email applications used by those who are blind. Email is an important tool for workplace communication, but computer software and websites can present accessibility and usability barriers to blind users who use screen readers to access computers and websites.
To identify usability problems that blind users have with email, 15 blind users tested seven commonly used email applications. Each user tested two applications, so each application was tested by three to five users. From the results, we identify several ways to improve email applications so that blind people can use them more easily. The findings of this study should also assist employers as they make decisions about the types of email applications that they will use within their organizations. This exploratory research can serve as a focus for more extensive studies in the future.
Practitioner’s Take Away
The following are key points from this study:
- Many of the most common desktop and web-based email applications appear to contain some usability problems that impact blind users who are using screen readers and keyboards to navigate them (such as navigation, tab order, contacts, and calendaring).
- Web-based email applications showed poorer performance than desktop applications (this is significant due to the current shift toward web-based applications).
- Many of the discovered problems could be addressed through relatively minor modifications (such as tab order, labeling, terminology, clear confirmations, and the placement of buttons on an interface).
- Applications should be examined closely for their usability when they are navigated with a keyboard alone (because this aspect affects not only blind users but also users with a motor impairment who are unable to use a pointing device).
- It is crucial that all stakeholders involved in developing, implementing, and using these email applications demand universal usability.
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Usability Evaluation of Email Applications by Blind Users