Re: approval

Karl Groves wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 3:46 AM, Joshue O Connor CFIT
> <joshue.oconnor@ncbi.ie>  wrote:
>> Karl Groves wrote:
[...]
> IMO, you've already answered the question. : "All David seems to be
> saying is that usability testing with the
> widest range of users is a great way of testing your 'real world'
> accessibility."
>
> "Widest range of users". Lets look at what such usability testing requires:

In reality you work with who you can get. Rather than going for the 
'statistically significant' approach. Often, it's more a matter of who 
is free.

> 2) Combine the above with the logistical challenges of testing with
> PWD. [...]

Agreed, it can be a logistical nightmare but you get good as scheduling :-)

> Alternately, you can go to them.  Do you have a portable lab?

Yes, I have a mobile lab.

> This all takes a long time and a lot of effort. At the bare minimum
> you have to spend time *finding* these participants, determining the
> test tasks, scheduling the sessions, performing the sessions,
> collating the notes gathered from the sessions, etc. etc.  This type
> of effort is not free.  Even if you do all of this stuff in-house
> using in-house participants you still have actual time spent doing
> this work by employees.  Their fully actualized cost is real money out
> of their employer's pockets.

For sure, but well spent. Yes, at the moment user testing is kinda 
elitist. I wrote a paper about that very thing, making this same point 
for those interested. [1]

> I won't argue that usability testing is the hands-down best way to
> know whether real people can successfully perform tasks on a system.

:-)

> What I will argue is that gathering accessibility data with usability
> studies is inefficient and there are plenty of other methods that
> should be utilized first.

Absolutely, but doing user testing should be encouraged. The gains are many.

Cheers

Josh

[1] http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1427016.1427060




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Received on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 18:34:39 UTC