Accessibility research methods

Accessibility research reveals how people with different abilities use government services. Testing with assistive technologies and users with disabilities provides insights that automated tools cannot capture.

Core accessibility research methods and tools include:

• Screen reader testing: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver on iOS
• Keyboard navigation: Tab order testing, focus indicators
• Voice control: Dragon speech recognition solutions, Voice Control on iOS
• Low vision simulation: Web Disability Simulator, Color Oracle
• Cognitive testing: Hemingway Editor, SMOG Readability
• Motor control: switch devices, alternative keyboards
• Audio description testing: VLC Media Player for audio tracks, VidIO for video description analysis^[1]

Users often adapt assistive technologies to their specific needs. For example, screen reader users might increase the speech rate or use custom keyboard shortcuts. Voice-control users develop specific commands for efficient navigation. Understanding these adaptations helps create more inclusive services.