Accessibilty Audit

Accessibilty Audit

In our research and discovery process, we identified four main challenges for stroke survivors in accessibility and usability.  As we are conducting a product redesign for the client, we then compared the existing prototype with our findings on WCAG best practices.

Targeted Disability Considerations

  • Users with low vision and Color Blindness

  • Users with digital literacy issues 

  • Users with Hearing Difficulties

  • Users with Information Processing Difficulties

Low Vision

Healing Hand Existing Prototype Analysis

  • At current, instructional videos accompany portions of the process 

  • For any video component involved in exercise instruction and during the onboarding and set up phase, etc. there should be an audio description also.

  • People with low or diminished vision due to their stoke can use this tool to understand the expectation of each rehab activity ( this should of course be a default part of the video process)

HealingHand Analysis

  • In current prototype content & functionality have no time limits/constraints

  • In current prototype, too strict a time limit based on avatar selection (reflects difficulty)

  • In “Games” section of current prototype too much focus on time-sensitive content, as opposed to focus on users’ completion rate

Color Blindness

HealingHand Analysis

  • In current form, prototype does not allow for readability for individuals with Color Blindness


Digital Literacy Issue

Potential Instructional Barrier: Tasks requiring technical skills

HealingHand Analysis

  • Based on age group that is most likely to have strokes (75% of stroke victims are +65 years of age) our designs should assume some familiarity of technical skills 

  • App needs better use of labeling of elements 


Suggested Support

  • Remove time limits

  • Chunk information

  • Support strategy development (small goals, organize tasks, more deadlines for smaller sections)

  • Flexible schedules

  • Use simple language and/or provide vocabulary support

Suggested Support

Audio descriptions of visible motion on a video

Suggested Support: 

  • Less use of reds and greens, blues and yellows 

  • Use of brighter colors that contrast with a darker background 

  • A thin form field should have a 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio.

  • A thick form field should have a 3:1 minimum contrast ratio.

  • Focus indicators on all links in a have a 4.5:1 minimum contrast ratio.

Suggested Support

Create better labeling of buttons and use high contrast colors and correctly weighted typography

Navigation of online environments

  • Currently app is not using good labeling for navigational elements 

  • Currently app is not using a uniform manner of bottom navigation 

  • App not providing user feedback as to where in the various “processes the user is 

  • App not allowing user ability to go back to previous screens or “skip” unneeded processes 



Suggested Support

  • Navigation elements need labeling and different orientation 

  • Navigation elements should have uniform label 

  • Navigation should provide user feedback on where in navigation user is

  • Navigation should provide for “back” and “Skip” functions 


Hearing Difficulties

Potential Instructional Barriers: Video, Podcasts, Screencasts, Lecture 

HealingHand Analysis

  • Currently app is not optimized for users with hearing deficiencies due to stroke using current MCAG best practice standards  (captions, audio transcripts, etc) 

  • In the original prototype these videos lacked sufficient transcript/subtitles in the orientation video, demo/video instructions, instructions & video of movements to be performed, etc. 

Information Processing Difficulties 

Potential Instructional Barriers: Assessment time limits, extensive complex tasks,Language comprehension, excessive technical jargon.


Suggested Support

  • Use of Captions (complete and synchronized)

  • Utilization Interpreters

  • Use of Audio Transcripts

  • Video with CC captions to explain process/expectations, etc.

Conclusion

The Accessibility Research is crucial to the Healing Hand App. The users are essentially Stroke survivors with accessibility needs. For a full and deeper understanding of our study, we recommend to check out our extended research report on WCAG Healing Hand Accessibility Research Report