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Thread: WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021

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From: Sumit Patel
Date: Wed, Oct 27 2021 3:03AM
Subject: WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021
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Hai all,

I was going through the WebAIM screen reader user survey #9 results
and comparing it with #8 result.

Usage of NVDA and Voiceover screen readers reduced to 30.7% and 6.5%
from 40.6% and 12.9%.
Usage of Firefox browser has come down to 16.5% from 27.4%.
Chrome became the most commonly used browser with NVDA screen reader
replacing Firefox browser.
The percentage of NVDA with Firefox reduced to 9.7% from 19.6%.


Can anyone help me with any blogs or articles which is discussing
about this #9 result? I couldn't find such links or discussions.
What surprised me and want more to understand is
Why people are moving to NVDA with Chrome from NVDA with Firefox?
JAWS with chrome or JAWS with Edge , which is the best tool
combination to test with ?
Do we need to completely stop testing in IE browser as the percentage
came down to 3.3% from 10.9%?
when it comes to mobile, the VoiceOver usage percentage is increasing
year by year and now it became 71.5% VoiceOver users and 29.1%
TalkBack users. Is it because more than the half of the respondents
are from North America?


Really looking forward to hear from you.
Thanks in advance

Regards,
Sumit.

From: L Snider
Date: Wed, Oct 27 2021 6:35AM
Subject: Re: WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021
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Great question! In my personal view, and some of the people I know who use
screen readers every day, Firefox in one version (about 3 years ago? I lose
track with the pandemic) was changed and it was terrible for screen reader
users. So they switched to Chrome and didn't switch back....that is just my
experience with some people I know. I also have one auditor who used IE
until recently, because no one trains them on how to use stuff, and they
knew IE worked for them. However, once they have to upgrade windows to 10,
then they will likely have to shift over. Not everyone is using the latest
versions of technologies or browsers, in my experience.

Mobile stats are interesting. In Canada, our cell rates are the most
expensive in the world (or close to it). Most of the people who are blind
or Deaf-Blind I know in certain parts of Canada have cell phones. However,
I also know people who don't, especially in parts of rural Canada on the
east coast (no cell phone and even no internet-too expensive). So that
figure, if done all over Canada, would be interesting to see, as we have
greater challenges with cell phone affordability.

Cheers

Lisa



On Wed, Oct 27, 2021 at 6:03 AM Sumit Patel < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
wrote:

> Hai all,
>
> I was going through the WebAIM screen reader user survey #9 results
> and comparing it with #8 result.
>
> Usage of NVDA and Voiceover screen readers reduced to 30.7% and 6.5%
> from 40.6% and 12.9%.
> Usage of Firefox browser has come down to 16.5% from 27.4%.
> Chrome became the most commonly used browser with NVDA screen reader
> replacing Firefox browser.
> The percentage of NVDA with Firefox reduced to 9.7% from 19.6%.
>
>
> Can anyone help me with any blogs or articles which is discussing
> about this #9 result? I couldn't find such links or discussions.
> What surprised me and want more to understand is
> Why people are moving to NVDA with Chrome from NVDA with Firefox?
> JAWS with chrome or JAWS with Edge , which is the best tool
> combination to test with ?
> Do we need to completely stop testing in IE browser as the percentage
> came down to 3.3% from 10.9%?
> when it comes to mobile, the VoiceOver usage percentage is increasing
> year by year and now it became 71.5% VoiceOver users and 29.1%
> TalkBack users. Is it because more than the half of the respondents
> are from North America?
>
>
> Really looking forward to hear from you.
> Thanks in advance
>
> Regards,
> Sumit.
> > > > >

From: Jared Smith
Date: Wed, Oct 27 2021 9:12AM
Subject: Re: [EXT] WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021
← Previous message | Next message →

> Why people are moving to NVDA with Chrome from NVDA with Firefox?

We didn't ask specifically about their motivations for changing, but in the free-form "Comments" field of the survey several indicated their switch was due to lack of compatibility with certain browsers, software, or web site and speech synthesizers that are not comparable to JAWS or VoiceOver.

> JAWS with chrome or JAWS with Edge , which is the best tool combination to test with ?

JAWS with Chrome was reported as being used by nearly twice as many respondents as JAWS with Edge. Unless you're dealing with very complex content or finding inconsistencies across platforms, don't get too hung up on testing on every possible or common combination.

> Do we need to completely stop testing in IE browser as the percentage came down to 3.3% from 10.9%?

I think this question is best answered by analyzing your own audience. I do think IE needs to die a fiery and permanent death, but if it's reasonable to ensure things don't totally fail in IE, then do so.

> when it comes to mobile, the VoiceOver usage percentage is increasing year by year and now it became 71.5% VoiceOver users and 29.1%
TalkBack users. Is it because more than the half of the respondents are from North America?

Use of VoiceOver as the primary mobile screen reader was higher for respondents from North America (77.4%) than outside North America (58.2%). While the majority of respondents were from North America, the most recent survey had the highest number or respondents yet from outside North America.

Jared Smith
WebAIM

From: Sumit Patel
Date: Wed, Oct 27 2021 12:09PM
Subject: Re: [EXT] WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021
← Previous message | Next message →

Thank you for the replies.

Do we have any industry standard browser screen reader combinations
which you would think better ?
If I am not wrong, most of the companies were preferring JAWS with IE
and NVDA with Firefox .
But, the survey result clearly indicate the change in the recent times.
As you mentioned, we wouldn't be able to test with all the possible
tool combinations
I could see in internet still many institutions and banks are
continuing with IE browser as it is not so easy for them to switch.



On 27/10/2021, Jared Smith < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Why people are moving to NVDA with Chrome from NVDA with Firefox?
> We didn't ask specifically about their motivations for changing, but in the
> free-form "Comments" field of the survey several indicated their switch was
> due to lack of compatibility with certain browsers, software, or web site
> and speech synthesizers that are not comparable to JAWS or VoiceOver.
> JAWS with chrome or JAWS with Edge , which is the best tool
> combination to test with ?
> JAWS with Chrome was reported as being used by nearly twice as many
> respondents as JAWS with Edge. Unless you're dealing with very complex
> content or finding inconsistencies across platforms, don't get too hung up
> on testing on every possible or common combination.
> Do we need to completely stop testing in IE browser as the percentage
> came down to 3.3% from 10.9%?
> I think this question is best answered by analyzing your own audience. I do
> think IE needs to die a fiery and permanent death, but if it's reasonable to
> ensure things don't totally fail in IE, then do so.
> when it comes to mobile, the VoiceOver usage percentage is increasing
> year by year and now it became 71.5% VoiceOver users and 29.1%
> TalkBack users. Is it because more than the half of the respondents
> are from North America?
> Use of VoiceOver as the primary mobile screen reader was higher for
> respondents from North America (77.4%) than outside North America (58.2%).
> While the majority of respondents were from North America, the most recent
> survey had the highest number or respondents yet from outside North America.
> Jared Smith
> WebAIM
> > > > >

From: Jared Smith
Date: Wed, Oct 27 2021 1:41PM
Subject: Re: [EXT] WebAIM Screen reader user survey #9 result 2021
← Previous message | No next message

> Do we have any industry standard browser screen reader combinations which you would think better ?

You'll not find any widely accepted industry "standards" for such things. The need for testing across combinations increases with the complexity and accessibility variability of the content. For very basic web content you might just test in one and find that entirely sufficient. For a bit more complex content and basic ARIA, you might use JAWS with Chrome, NVDA with Firefox, and VoiceOver with Safari to cover the major screen readers, browsers, and platforms. For very complex content or where discrepancies are found with the previous combinations, then you might test on additional platforms and combinations.

Defining a set list of browser / screen reader combinations to always test with will generally be either entirely overkill and a waste of effort, or it will be insufficient and too limiting.

> If I am not wrong, most of the companies were preferring JAWS with IE and NVDA with Firefox.

I've not seen JAWS with IE broadly recommended for quite some time, except in limited cases where IE is required or highly used browser.

> I could see in internet still many institutions and banks are continuing with IE browser as it is not so easy for them to switch.

Yes, but by choosing to require IE they are also choosing to severely limit accessibility support for those users. At some point the web and accessibility have to move beyond 2013.

Jared