The first time I went to London, I was taken aback by their subway system. "Mind the gap!" echoes through London's underground stations every few minutes.
They mean the space between the train and the platform. I always wondered why the gap is there in the first place, but let's just skip this conversation.
I haven't been to London since the pandemic, but I can still hear the voice echoing "mind the gap!"
Many websites and apps claim to be accessible. People think that just because they've implemented something to spec, followed the guidelines and there are no errors in their automated tests, the resulting product must be accessible by all.
The truth is there's often a significant gap between technical compliance and what users with disabilities actually experience on a website.
Accessibility guidelines like the WCAG provide a solid foundation. But they don't cover every possible scenario. Users with disabilities have diverse needs that can't always be addressed by a checklist approach.
Over-reliance on the WCAG isn't the only cause of this gap. Consider a few factors:
- Lack of user testing with people with disabilities
- Misunderstanding of how assistive technologies work
- Over-reliance on automated accessibility checkers
- Focusing on compliance rather than usability
The gap has significant consequences. Users with disabilities will often face frustration and exclusion, when they're unable to access information or services.
To bridge this gap, my advice is to prioritise user testing with people with disabilities. Through a hands-on approach, you'll get to the bottom of real issues you'll miss if you rely on automated tests alone.
This will seem like a costly solution. Time consuming as well.
The truth is by involving real people in your process, you avoid any surprises and most rework that will cost you more than the alternative.