Feedback wanted from users with disabilities

sorryaboutmywife

I occasionally carry out usability testing for disability charity AbilityNet.org.uk as I'm a keyboard-only (i.e. non-mouse) and voice recognition user.
This site is absolutely packed with info, but the amount of scrolling and clicking I would have to do makes it very difficult to use.
For people who use screen readers, such as Jaws, it's essential to provide text alternatives to any images or image that are links.
In both cases, I agree with previous posters about the cramped feel of the site and although I'm so glad it's free of ads sometimes it doesn't feel that way!

Nicola

keefyboy_2

The biggest problem I have is the text size, on the left side of the forum you put the Names of the person commenting, but I can't read it at all unless I increase the screen size with Ctrl +, then I have to decrease it to read the comment text because it is too big. The posting rules that are used also are a prime example.
Also as already stated, having text the same colour but a different shade as the background. I an blind in my left eye and have tunnel vision in my right eye. :think: But on the whole I find the site somewhat easier to use. Thanks all :T

foreversomeday

I'm not disabled but I'd like to report I find the site quite cluttered as well and if I wasn't a seasoned forum user I would have found it very daunting to use. I know my mum and a lot of other older people or people who aren't as familiar with the internet as I am have been put off when I refer them here, whereas they can cope with for example google or bbc.co.uk (although the latter seems to be becoming more cluttered recently) - good examples of websites which carry a lot of content, minimal advertising and yet have good clear design.

I love the site and I love Martin's enthusiasm but sometimes it can feel like a bit much!

The other thing I'd like to report is that the weekly email now no longer displays properly in windows live mail (hotmail) - if I have my inbox showing at the side I have to scroll sideways to read the email text, and if I maximise the message I don't have to scroll but I get white lines along the email which make the text difficult to read. If I highlight the text the lines disappear though.

poohbear59

I agree with Greyowl that if there is too much text and not enough spaces in between topics or chapters I can't read it. I have CFS and FMS.

Martin's e mail is easier to read as it has lots of different colours to pick out topic headings but if a paragraph is too long then I miss most of it. I find it very difficult to concentrate on reading lots of text.

JayWalker

I agree with everyone about the spacing problems and lack of "white space". I'd also like to raise the problems of radio buttons and the like. It's hard for people with either visual or dexterity problems (which includes myself) to select the correct one.

I'd also like to add my voice to the non-mouse users. There are a lot of people who find keyboard navigation easier, but a lot of websites just ignore this possibility.

MSE_Martin

Thank you all for the feedback

This is something we take seriously. And will be looking at many of the comments.

Unfortunatley a few of them are unspecific.

IF you've commented above would you mind specifying whether you are talking about

a. The forum
b. The email
c. The main site home page
d. Main site articles
e. Main site section pages

As the nature of the site means they all have different formatting.

Martin

Errata

All of them.

foxxymynx

mostly A and C but all of them could do with a little more spacing - especially the forum, mostly at the top.

robpw2

a spell checker would be really useful:)

foxxymynx

robpw2 wrote: »

a spell checker would be really useful:)

I agree, especailly for people with dyslexia