Anikto LLC

WebAIM Screen Reader Survey

The fine folks at WebAIM released the results of a survey conducted among users of screen readers. Some of the results confirmed items I either already knew or assumed to be true, but there were a few surprises as well.

The topics surveyed included questions pertaining to the use of headings for navigation, how “skip” links should be worded, what items on a home page are most valuable, access keys, pop-up windows, document formatting, and social media. One behavior I would have liked to learn more about is whether folks actually read accessibility statements.

What I love about the survey is that it operates as a litmus test for how users really want to access their content, rather than a checklist of technical features. As stated in the conclusion:

Perhaps the most significant conclusion we can make from these survey results is that there is no typical screen reader user. As developers, we sometimes view screen reader accessibility as JAWS or Window Eyes or VoiceOver (or whatever) compatibility. This survey emphasizes that screen reader accessibility is about real people – and people that have diverse abilities and preferences. As developers, we must do our best to accommodate the needs of this diverse group.

For the full rundown, designers and developers really should read the entire WebAIM survey report. Here are some highlights:

• Most of the users surveyed update their screen reader software within six months of a new version release, but many go as long as three years without an update.
• Content headings are important, not just to provide context but also navigation. A majority of the users surveyed rely on headings to navigate through the content, and the percentage increases among users who consider themselves at the “expert” level.
• Search is also critical to a site’s home page. Many of the users surveyed expect search to be the first form field available on the page; others will tab directly to the field.
• Results pertaining to text-only pages were inconclusive. Some users prefer to use them when available, others not.
• Most of the users surveyed customize their screen reader to at least some extent. The percentage goes down as the severity of disability decreases.
• The results pertaining to the wording of ALT text for images were very interesting. Most users surveyed prefer to have photographs indicated as such. (The example from the survey is “Photo of the White House”). However, ALT text preferences for logos that link back to the home page vary widely.
• Most of the users surveyed still use some form of Internet Explorer.
• More than half of the users surveyed prefer “skip” links worded as a “skip to” link, for example “Skip to main content.”
• Survey results pertaining to the use of frames, Flash and Acrobat PDF varied widely. Update 02/01/09 – I made a broad generalization here, which Jared Smith of WebAIM helpfully clarified for me. There was much less variance regarding the use of Flash; in fact, over 70% of the users surveyed reported difficulty reading Flash content. Other content types showed more variation.