Evaluating the Benefit of Accordion Web Elements for Low Literacy Populations

Abstract

Online applications for benefit programs typically feature large blocks of text and complicated forms, often simply converted from paper forms. While initiatives like plain language promote information accessibility, long, complicated applications can severely limit program accessibility for the populations they intend to help. In the general population, the use of optimized forms can reduce user errors and lead to shorter fixations. The use of accordion web elements has been promoted as a way to condense lengthy page content. However, there is some debate regarding the increased interaction cost to the casual user. Prior research indicates that accordion interface elements may constitute a barrier to users with low literacy skills. This eye tracking study compares accordion-based text and forms with non-accordion text and forms to measure task engagement, reading persistence, time on task, and form completion errors.