To determine the prevalence of access barriers in websites and mobile apps, participants were shown a list of tasks that people commonly perform using websites, mobile apps, or both. For each of the tasks they performed within the past year using a website, they were asked how often they encountered accessibility issues while performing the task with the option to select from the following responses: “Never,” “Less than half the time,” and “At least half the time.” Responses were coded as “Occasional barriers” if the participant reported having accessibility issues less than half the time, and “Frequent barriers” if the participant reported having accessibility issues more than half the time. Participants answered the same set of questions for tasks they performed within the past year when using mobile apps.
The tasks presented to the participants were organized in the following seven types of activities—commerce, employment, information, transportation, healthcare, education, and miscellaneous tasks. The following sections will report the prevalence of access barriers in websites and mobile apps while performing specific tasks in these categories of activities as reported by survey participants. The top nine tasks that presented the most common barriers for both website and app users will then be identified.
- Commerce-Related Tasks
- Employment-Related Tasks
- Information-Related Tasks
- Transportation-Related Tasks
- Healthcare-Related Tasks
- Education-Related Tasks
- Miscellaneous Tasks
- Tasks with the Most Prevalent Barriers
- Overall Barrier Frequency
- Strategies for Coping with Barriers
- Open-Ended Description of Barriers to Access
Commerce-Related Tasks
“The worst part of many mobile apps is that it’s often just one small feature that stops the entire process of using them. A button to place an order or select a quantity for example.” - Study Participant
A majority of participants reported using websites and apps for shopping, including meal and grocery delivery, as well as banking and finance. Some participants also used websites and apps for selling goods or services, scheduling personal services, or online dating. A small number also reported using websites(20 participants) and mobile apps (23 participants) to manage cryptocurrency.
Of the 317 participants who shopped on websites, 184 (58%) reported occasional access barriers and 89 (28.1%) reported frequent barriers. Among the 255 who shopped using mobile apps, 125 (55.6%) reported occasional barriers and 53 (23.6%) reported frequent barriers. Online dating also presented particularly common access barriers; for example, although only 49 participants reported using a dating app, nearly half (24, 49%) of those participants reported frequent access barriers. Table 3 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform each task, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers.
Table 3: Prevalence of Access Barriers to Commerce-Related Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website Users | ||||
| Online shopping | 317 | 44 (13.9%) | 184 (58%) | 89 (28.1%) |
| Banking/Finance | 257 | 57 (22.2%) | 156 (60.7%) | 44 (17.1%) |
| Ordering food | 214 | 26 (12.1%) | 141 (65.9%) | 47 (22%) |
| Scheduling personal services | 110 | 33 (30%) | 52 (47.3%) | 52 (47.3%) |
| Online selling | 91 | 19 (20.9%) | 46 (50.5%) | 26 (28.6%) |
| Online dating | 63 | 11 (17.5%) | 27 (42.9%) | 25 (39.7%) |
| Cryptocurrency | 20 | 8 (40%) | 7 (35%) | 5 (25%) |
| App Users | ||||
| Online shopping | 225 | 47 (20.9%) | 125 (55.6%) | 53 (23.6%) |
| Banking/Finance | 215 | 66 (30.7%) | 129 (60%) | 20 (9.3%) |
| Ordering food | 209 | 28 (13.4%) | 126 (60.3%) | 55 (26.3%) |
| Scheduling personal services | 84 | 26 (31%) | 38 (45.2%) | 20 (23.8%) |
| Online selling | 65 | 17 (26.2%) | 34 (52.3%) | 14 (21.5%) |
| Online dating | 49 | 10 (20.4%) | 15 (30.6%) | 24 (49%) |
| Cryptocurrency | 23 | 6 (26.1%) | 12 (52.2%) | 5 (21.7%) |
Employment-Related Tasks
Among the 200 participants who reported using a website to look for job opportunities, 106 (53%) reported occasional barriers and 66 (33%) reported frequent barriers. Among the 193 who reported applying for jobs on websites, 101 (52.3%) reported occasional barriers and 72 (37.3%) reported frequent barriers. Although the use of mobile apps for job searching was less common, with 85 participants using mobile apps to look for jobs and 64 to apply for jobs, both tasks were reported by app users to have similar prevalence of access barriers. Table 4 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform each task, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers for each task.
Table 4: Prevalence of Access Barriers to Employment-Related Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website Users | ||||
| Looking for jobs | 200 | 28 (14%) | 106 (53%) | 66 (33%) |
| Applying for jobs | 193 | 20 (10.4%) | 101 (52.3%) | 72 (37.3%) |
| App Users | ||||
| Looking for jobs | 85 | 19 (22.4%) | 42 (49.4%) | 24 (28.2%) |
| Applying for jobs | 64 | 13 (20.34%) | 29 (45.3%) | 22 (34.4%) |
Information-Related Tasks
“Overall, the lack of accessibility of online services hinders my ability to access information in a timely, self-sufficient manner, and often requires me to spend extensive time seeking out alternative methods for accessing the same information as my sighted and hearing peers.” - Study Participant
Websites and mobile apps play a critical role in ensuring access to information. Most participants reported using websites or mobile apps to follow the news. Although a small number of participants reported frequent barriers with following the news, occasional barriers were reported by 125 (51.2%) of the 244 participants who follow the news on websites and 126 (53.4%) of those who do so on mobile apps. The same is true for participants who rely on websites for emergency alerts in which the reports of frequent barriers are small but reports of occasional barriers are higher. Of the 163 website users, 78 (47.9%) reported occasional barriers as did 62 (38.3%) of mobile app users. One hundred eighty-four participants reported using websites to learn about public benefits (such as SSI or SNAP benefits) with 53 (28.8%) reporting frequent barriers. Of the 70 who access the same information through mobile apps, 18 (25.7%) reported frequent barriers. Of the 168 who access information about housing listings on websites, 45 (26.8%) reported frequent barriers and of the 68 who access them on mobile apps, 15 (22.1%) reported frequent barriers. Table 5 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to access information, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers to access each type of information.
Table 5: Prevalence of Access Barriers to Obtaining Information by Type
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website User | ||||
| News | 244 | 82 (33.6%) | 125 (51.2%) | 37 (15.2%) |
| Benefits info | 184 | 46 (25%) | 85 (46.2%) | 53 (28.8%) |
| Housing info | 168 | 34 (20.2%) | 89 (53%) | 45 (26.8%) |
| Emergency alerts | 163 | 57 (35%) | 78 (47.9%) | 28 (17.2%) |
| App User | ||||
| News | 236 | 83 (35.2%) | 126 (53.4%) | 27 (11.4%) |
| Benefits info | 70 | 15 (21.4%) | 37 (52.9%) | 18 (25.7%) |
| Housing info | 68 | 20 (29.4%) | 33 (48.5%) | 15 (22.1%) |
| Emergency alerts | 162 | 76 (46.9% | 62 (38.3%) | 24 (14.8%) |
Transportation-Related Tasks
One hundred and eighty-five participants used a website to book air travel in the last year, and 125 used a website to book interstate bus or train travel. Mobile app usage was less common for these activities, but was much more common for scheduling rideshare, with 209 participants using a rideshare app in the last year. One hundred fifty-nine participants reported using a website and 149 used a mobile app to look up local transit information, such as bus schedules. Websites and apps for booking air, bus, or train travel and local transit information presented relatively frequent access issues, while rideshare apps were rated as relatively accessible. Table 6 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform transportation related Tasks, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers.
Table 6: Prevalence of Access Barriers to Transportation-Related Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website User | ||||
| Booking air travel | 185 | 11 (5.9%) | 107 (57.7%) | 67 (36.2%) |
| Looking up local transit info | 159 | 31 (19.5%) | 80 (50.3%) | 48 (30.2%) |
| Booking bus/train travel | 125 | 11 (8.8%) | 65 (52%) | 49 (39.2%) |
| Scheduling rideshare | 114 | 41 (36%) | 56 (49.1%) | 17 (14.9%) |
| App User | ||||
| Booking air travel | 117 | 17 (14.5%) | 58 (49.6%) | 42 (35.9%) |
| Looking up local transit info | 149 | 39 (26.2%) | 76 (51%) | 34 (22.8%) |
| Booking bus/train travel | 88 | 11 (12.5%) | 50 (56.8%) | 27 (30.7%) |
| Scheduling rideshare | 209 | 76 (36.4%) | 117 (56%) | 16 (7.7%) |
Healthcare-Related Tasks
“I missed critical health information because Captcha barriers prevented me from accessing my doctor’s health portal.”- Study Participant
Many participants reported using websites or apps to manage their health. For example, 255 participants reported using a website to review their medical records or test results, or to access healthcare service information like finding a doctor. Similarly, 128 participants used a mobile app to look for healthcare service information. One hundred ninety-eight participants used a website to schedule healthcare appointments and 129 used a mobile app, while 185 used a website to receive services and 141 used a mobile app. Smaller numbers of participants used websites or apps for wellness management (such as meditation and fitness) or mental health services. Across the healthcare tasks, about 40%-50% of participants reported occasional barriers while 20%-30% reported frequent barriers. Table 7 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform healthcare-related tasks, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers when performing those tasks.
Table 7: Prevalence of Access Barriers to Healthcare-Related Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website User | ||||
| Obtaining healthcare info | 254 | 63 (24.8%) | 130 (51.2%) | 61 (24%) |
| Reviewing medical records | 255 | 71 (27.8%) | 124 (48.6%) | 60 (23.5%) |
| Scheduling appointments | 198 | 51 (25.8%) | 93 (47%) | 54 (27.3%) |
| Receiving telehealth services | 185 | 28 (20.9%) | 68 (50.7%) | 38 (28.4%) |
| Managing wellness | 28 (20.9%) | 68 (50.7%) | 38 (28.4%) | |
| Accessing mental health info | 113 | 35 (31%) | 46 (40.7%) | 32 (28.3%) |
| App User | ||||
| Obtaining healthcare info | 128 | 42 (32.8%) | 59 (46.1%) | 27 (21.1%) |
| Reviewing medical records | 159 | 60 (37.7%) | 66 (41.5%) | 33 (20.8%) |
| Scheduling appointments | 129 | 46 (35.7%) | 53 (41.1%) | 30 (23.3%) |
| Receiving telehealth services | 141 | 39 (27.7%) | 67 (47.5%) | 35 (24.8%) |
| Managing wellness | 113 | 30 (26.5%) | 51 (45.1%) | 32 (28.3%) |
| Accessing mental health info | 56 | 15 (26.8%) | 25 (44.6%) | 16 (28.6%) |
Education-Related Tasks
One hundred thirty-seven participants reported using a website to access college or university coursework within the last year, with eighty-one (59.1%) reporting occasional barriers and 39 (28.5%) reporting frequent barriers. Of the 69 who accessed college or university coursework on mobile apps, 32 (46.4%) reported occasional barriers and 26 (37.7%) reported frequent barriers. Some participants also reported using websites or apps for other types of adult learning, such as language learning or Data Camp. Sixty-six participants reported using a website to access information from a child’s school, while 39 reported using an app. Twenty-six (39.4%) reported frequent barriers when accessing a child’s school information on the web and 12 (30.8%) reported frequent barriers when doing so with a mobile app. Table 8 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform tasks related to education, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers when performing those tasks.
Table 8: Prevalence of Barriers to Education-related Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website User | ||||
| Taking college courses | 137 | 17 (12.4%) | 81 (59.1%) | 39 (28.5%) |
| Self-learning | 99 | 22 (22.2%) | 52 (52.5%) | 25 (25.3%) |
| Accessing information in child’s school | 66 | 10 (15.2%) | 30 (45.5%) | 26 (39.4%) |
| App User | ||||
| Taking college courses | 69 | 11 (15.9%) | 32 (46.4%) | 26 (37.7%) |
| Self-learning | 90 | 22 (24.4%) | 52 (57.8%) | 16 (17.8%) |
| Accessing information in child’s school | 39 | 5 (12.8%) | 22 (56.4%) | 12 (30.8%) |
Miscellaneous Tasks
Participants were asked about five additional tasks: email or instant messaging, social media, use of digital maps, games, and photography or art. Most participants used websites or apps for email and instant messaging with few access barriers. Most participants also used websites or mobile apps for social media and digital maps. One in four participants (25%) reported frequent access barriers using mobile apps for maps, while 42% reported frequent barriers with map-related websites. Table 9 lists the number of participants who reported using websites or mobile apps to perform each of the five tasks, and among those users, the percentages who reported no barriers, occasional barriers, and frequent barriers when performing these tasks.
Table 9: Prevalence of Barriers to Miscellaneous Tasks
| Task | User | No Barriers | Occasional Barriers | Frequent Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website user | ||||
| Email/IM | 280 | 116 (41.4%) | 138 (49.3%) | 26 (9.3%) |
| Social media | 254 | 50 (19.7%) | 141 (55.5%) | 63 (24.8%) |
| Digital maps | 152 | 25 (16.4%) | 63 (41.4%) | 64 (42.1%) |
| Games | 123 | 39 (31.7%) | 49 (39.8%) | 35 (28.5%) |
| Photo/design/art | 52 | 11 (21.2%) | 21 (40.4%) | 20 (38.5%) |
| App Users | ||||
| Email/IM | 272 | 121 (44.5%) | 131 (48.2%) | 20 (7.4%) |
| Social media | 237 | 52 (21.9%) | 137 (57.8%) | 48 (20.3%) |
| Digital maps | 188 | 43 (22.9%) | 98 (52.1%) | 47 (25%) |
| Games | 156 | 52 (33.3%) | 61 (39.1%) | 43 (27.6%) |
| Photo/design/art | 64 | 19 (29.7%) | 29 (45.3%) | 16 (25%) |
Tasks with the Most Prevalent Barriers
After gathering the responses of all the survey participants, all the tasks were rank ordered by the percentage of website and app users who reported experiencing any barriers (either occasional or frequent barriers). The top ten tasks with the most frequent barriers for websites and for mobile apps, separately, were identified and the list was narrowed down to nine tasks that appear in the top ten on both lists. The list below represent the percentage of website and app users who expressed that they face either occasional or frequent barriers with each of the top nine tasks.
- Booking train or bus travel: 91% of website users, 87% of app users
- Booking air travel: 94% of website users, 85% of app users
- Ordering food: 88% of website users, 87% of app users
- Applying for jobs: 90% of website users, 80% of app users
- Doing college coursework: 88% of website users, 84% of app users
- Accessing information from a child’s school: 85% of website users, 87% of app users
- Shopping online: 86% of website users, 79% of app users
- Locating job opportunities: 86% of website users, 78% of app users
- Online dating: 82% of website users, 80% of app users
Overall Barrier Frequency
Finally, participants were asked, overall, how often they typically encounter any kind of accessibility issue while using websites and again while using mobile apps. In response, 21% of participants reported facing accessibility barriers with websites at least once daily and 28% reported access barriers with mobile apps at least once a day. Approximately 20% of website and app users reported facing barriers at least once a week but not every day; 30% of website users and 23% of app users reported facing barriers at least once a month but not every week. Only about 25% of participants reported encountering access barriers with websites or mobile apps less than once a month. Table 10 lists the overall barrier frequency experienced by participants when using websites and apps.
Table 10: Barrier Frequency in Websites and Apps
| Frequency | Websites | Apps |
|---|---|---|
| At least once a day | 74 (21.1%) | 85 (28.2%) |
| Nearly every day | 31 (8.9%) | 31 (10.3%) |
| 3-5 times a week | 21 (6%) | 20 (6.6%) |
| 1-2 times a week | 21 (6%) | 22 (7.3%) |
| 3-4 times a month | 61 (17.4%) | 43 (14.3%) |
| 1-2 times a month | 48 (13.7%) | 28 (9.3%) |
| Less than once a month | 94 (26.9%) | 72 (23.9%) |
Strategies for Coping with Barriers
Participants were asked to report which strategies they use when they encounter accessibility issues with a website or mobile app. They were provided a list of options and were allowed to check as many strategies as they wished. A total of 355 participants responded to this question regarding their experience with websites, while 304 participants responded regarding mobile apps. One hundred fifty-five participants (43.7%) indicated they have done business elsewhere if they encountered an inaccessible website while seeking goods or services, while 125 participants (41.3%) reported doing business elsewhere when they encounter an inaccessible mobile app. For websites, other common strategies included switching browsers, getting in-person help from a sighted person, and trying the mobile version of the website. Using residual vision to access the site was the least common strategy used, with 53 people referencing it. Other less commonly selected strategies included trying a different screen reader mode, selected by 106 participants, and using a visual interpreting service, selected by 111 participants. For access barriers in mobile apps, nearly 196 participants tried updating the app or switching to a web version. Many also sought in-person help from a sighted person. Table 11 lists some of the coping strategies used by both web and app users.
Table 11: Coping Strategies
| Website Strategies | Survey Respondents |
|---|---|
| Switching to another browser | 228 (64.2%) |
| Getting in-person help from a sighted person | 213 (60%) |
| Switching to a mobile version | 197 (55.5%) |
| Switching to another AT | 184 (51.8%) |
| Using a different device | 180 (50.7%) |
| Switching to a mobile app | 161 (45.4%) |
| Doing business elsewhere | 155 (43.7%) |
| Seeking guidance from others with BVI | 140 (39.4%) |
| Utilizing services via phone | 140 (39.4%) |
| Contacting the company | 133 (37.5%) |
| Using a visual interpreting service | 111 (31.3%) |
| Switching to screen reader mode | 106 (29.9%) |
| Using my remaining vision | 53 (14.9%) |
| App Strategies | |
| Switching to web version instead of mobile app | 197 (65%) |
| Upgrading the app | 196 (64.7%) |
| Getting in-person help from a sighted person | 186 (61.4%) |
| Updating my OS | 139 (45.9%) |
| Seeking guidance from others with BVI | 135 (44.6%) |
| Doing business elsewhere | 125 (41.3%) |
| Contacting the company | 85 (28.1%) |
| Utilizing services via phone | 84 (27.7%) |
| Using different AT | 75 (24.8%) |
| Using the mobile app on a different device | 71 (23.4%) |
| Using a visual interpreting service | 71 (23.4%) |
| Using my remaining vision | 37 (12.2%) |
Open-Ended Description of Barriers to Access
Participants were asked to describe the top three challenges they most frequently encounter during website usage. A large number of participants mentioned unlabeled items, especially buttons and links, as a barrier to access (n=298). Another 113 participants mentioned issues with screen reader navigation. Fifty-two participants described poor contrast in text or images. Other issues included enlarged fonts which made it difficult to access all the information on the screen, being unfamiliar with how to use websites (especially when they change or have confusing layouts), difficulty completing Captchas, voiceover being unable to read foreign languages, and being unable to zoom.
Participants were also asked to describe the top three barriers they encountered with mobile apps. Overall, responses were similar to those provided for website barriers. A large number of participants mentioned unlabeled or mislabeled elements, particularly buttons, as a barrier to access (n=129). Another 56 participants mentioned images or graphics that lacked text descriptions, and 42 participants mentioned difficulty interacting with controls, such as buttons or edit fields that did not respond appropriately when tapped. Other issues included difficulties with poor contrast or text being too small to read for those who have low vision; apps losing accessibility when updated; apps spontaneously refreshing or having focus jump around the screen; and apps with cluttered layouts that were difficult to navigate with AT.
Others described the methods they implemented to circumvent accessibility challenges, including seeking sighted assistance; avoiding inaccessible apps; enlarging screens with external magnifiers; and using laptops instead of mobile devices. Fifteen participants identified lost time and reduced productivity as additional negative impacts.
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