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Thread: Usability vs Accessibility

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From: Vemaarapu Venkatesh
Date: Sun, Dec 18 2016 9:42PM
Subject: Usability vs Accessibility
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Hello all, Greetings!

How I should differentiate between usability bugs and accessibility bugs?
Really confused when I want to categorize bugs into these zones. What are
the checkpoints to keep in mind on a whole while deciding a bug as
usability or accessibility?

Need your valuable expertise.

Thanks,
Venkatesh

From: Sean Murphy
Date: Sun, Dec 18 2016 10:24PM
Subject: Re: Usability vs Accessibility
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Venkatesh

Accessibility bugs for the Web should be based upon the WCAG 2.0 (AA) standards. Usability bugs are issues that don't fit within the technical specifications, what user testing returns from people you use who have the disability and don't fall within the WCAG 2.0 standards. The same concepts used for people without disabilities also applies here.

Example:

if an graphic has no alt tag, then that is a accessibility issue. If there is a image button that has an alt tag which hides extra options like a hamburger. If the alt tag is not clear, then this is still an accessibility issue. If the same graphic button is clearly explained and the user doesn't know how to invoke the icon or understand the purpose of the button. Then this is a usability issue.

I am specifically picking on the Hamburger (three horizontal lines) as not many people are aware of them. I have even ask a few younger people in my organisation and they are not sure either.

Sean
> On 19 Dec 2016, at 3:42 pm, Vemaarapu Venkatesh < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> Hello all, Greetings!
>
> How I should differentiate between usability bugs and accessibility bugs?
> Really confused when I want to categorize bugs into these zones. What are
> the checkpoints to keep in mind on a whole while deciding a bug as
> usability or accessibility?
>
> Need your valuable expertise.
>
> Thanks,
> Venkatesh
> > > >

From: Jordan Wilson
Date: Mon, Dec 19 2016 7:39AM
Subject: Re: Usability vs Accessibility
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My 2 cents:

I treat accessibility as a subset of usability. Usability is about ensuring our design and development is effective and efficient. Accessibility is about ensuring our design and development is effective and efficient for individuals with disabilities.

Issues that apply to all users should be categorized under usability.
Those that apply for disabled users (for example many of the issues covered by WCAG) fall into the accessibility category.

Note that as a subset of usability, all accessibility issues are usability issues.

Jordan

On 12/18/16, 11:42 PM, "WebAIM-Forum on behalf of Vemaarapu Venkatesh" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = on behalf of = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:

Hello all, Greetings!

How I should differentiate between usability bugs and accessibility bugs?
Really confused when I want to categorize bugs into these zones. What are
the checkpoints to keep in mind on a whole while deciding a bug as
usability or accessibility?

Need your valuable expertise.

Thanks,
Venkatesh