A comprehensive accessibility assessment process: the case of the user-based Accessibility Qualifier tool

• Autores: Harari, Ivana; Luján Mora, Sergio; Díaz, Francisco Javier; Idalgo, Daniel Gustavo
• Año de publicación: 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: documento de conferencia
• Materia: Ciencias Informáticas; Disability; Usability Evaluation Methods; User Experience; WCAG; Web Accessibility
• Institución: Universidad Nacional de La Plata

Web accessibility continues to be a pending issue in software engineering, despite the existence of web accessibility legislation in many countries. This situation violates the rights of persons with disabilities (PwD) to access information and causes negative emotional consequences such as frustration, anguish and anger. Lack of web accessibility not only excludes PwD, but also perpetuates their invisibility and limits their active participation in society. Traditional web accessibility evaluations often focus exclusively on technical and normative criteria, without effectively integrating the perception and experience of PwD. This leads to websites that may comply with formal standards, but not necessarily with the real needs of PwD. This article presents the evaluation of the Accessibility Qualifier (AQ), a tool designed to allow PwD to assess the level of accessibility of the websites they visit, from their experience and perception. AQ allows PwD to express their voice and emotions in the face of digital barriers. The evaluation of the AQ, carried out through enquiry methods, usability tests and focus groups, led to significant findings in terms of both compliances with regulations and user experience, and provided the basis for improving the quality of the tool. The use of the AQ empowers PwD becoming active contributors in identifying and reporting the lack of web accessibility. In addition, it provides valuable information for those responsible for the qualified websites, enabling a deeper understanding of the impact that lack of accessibility has on PwD, and thus promoting the development of a more inclusive and non-discriminatory web.
Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática