Exploring the role of UX designers in enhancing web accessibility: An activity aheory perspective on WCAG implementation
Abstract
Access is what the web is all about and 60% of the world’s population have access to the web.
However, users of the web are diverse and people with disabilities are still experiencing
barriers because of poor web accessibility and usability. Web content accessibility guidelines
(WCAG) are developed to provide a wide range of recommendations for making accessible
web content, and are used by a variety of professionals including UX designers. Although
there are regulations and laws in place to ensure accessibility and reduce discrimination many
websites are not even compliant to the bare minimum level of satisfaction. Looking at the UX
designers activity and surroundings through an activity theory lens provided a more holistic
understanding. Activity theory aims to understand human behavior and learning by analyzing
the relationship between an individual and their environment, even in the field of IS activity
theory is a great support for exploring, analyzing and interpreting human activity.
This research aims to understand how UX designers work with web accessibility and how
WCAG affects the way they design web content to identify potential barriers or facilitators in
incorporating web accessibility more effectively. To do so a qualitative approach with two
rounds of interviews has been used to gain better understanding of the personal opinions and
experiences of the UX designers. The research found that the use of activity theory provide a
rich insight in the UX designers daily issues. The most significant finding is that disabled
users need to be a part of the process to ensure that solutions are accessible and usable.
Whether or not an UX designer has the support of the organization is not necessarily a success
factor if web accessibility is not integrated in the organizational culture and strategy.