The Accessibility and Usability of Online Job Applications for Screen Reader Users

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigated the accessibility and usability of online job applications by individuals with visual impairments who use screen readers. Method: Three blind, experienced screen reader users on the research team attempted to complete online job applications from 30 randomly selected Fortune 500 companies, with 90 application trials attempted. Each tester used a different screen reader and browser combination. Results: The testers experienced significant barriers to completing the online job applications: 50 of 90 (55.6%) attempts were successful, but 23 of the 30 (76.7%) websites had critical issues that prevented at least one tester from completing the application. Testers found 694 accessibility issues and gave an average ease-of-use rating of 3.60 (SD = 1.05) out of 5 for the job application websites. Twenty-six of the job application websites were created by eight job application software vendors, with significant variation in accessibility across different applications using the same vendor. Discussion: The accessibility and usability issues identified with the majority of online job applications evaluated present an unnecessary barrier to employment for screen reader users. While the 55.6% success rate found in this study is considerably higher compared to previous research, only 23.3% of the job application websites were accessible to all three screen readers. Implications: Job application software vendors and companies that create their own online job applications should take a Universal Design approach by following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and implementing recommended solutions to increase the accessibility of their applications. Software vendors are encouraged to only offer accessible options for creating online job applications, such that companies would not be able to create an inaccessible form.