Usability and accessibility on the internet: Effects of accessible web design on usability

Abstract

Despite the overlapping scope and aims of web-usability and web-accessibility (such as problems in using the web and the barriers in accessing the web) threre are only few studies which analyse the connections between the two areas. The present study investigates the relationship between web-accessibility and web-usability. To analyse this relationship we have designed an online test environment. We developed three complete internet presences (testportals), each one with a different level of accessibility. 131 test users were recruited viewed these three testportals and rated their usability. The instrument to evaluate usability was an especially modified and reduced version of the Web Usability Index (WUI) which was made available online in the form of a questionnaire. The central question this study sought to answer was: is there a difference in the usability ratings between websites with different levels of accessibility? The findings resulting from the central question were clear. The mean values show a significant difference in the usability ratings of the three portals. Other question our study sought to answer were the influences of the disability and the age factors. These influences are partly significant. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.