A new social web application designed to make online interaction more accessible for people who are blind or with low vision is being developed with input from people who use assistive technology.
RealThing AI is working with students from the University of Melbourne to develop Circles & Hearths, a web application exploring ways for people to connect through voice-based social groups.
As part of the development process, the team has been seeking people who use screen readers, screen magnification or high-contrast settings to test the application and provide feedback on its accessibility.
Testing sessions were scheduled for September, with a further round expected to take place in October. Participants are being asked to try the application and provide feedback about their experience using it.
Involving people with disability during the development and testing of digital products can help identify accessibility barriers before a product is released. It also provides developers with feedback based on how people actually use assistive technologies, rather than relying solely on automated accessibility testing.
For a social platform, this can be particularly important. Features such as joining groups, navigating conversations and interacting with other users need to work with different ways of accessing a website.
Circles & Hearths is still in development, so it remains to be seen what the finished application will look like. However, its testing process provides an example of people with disability being involved while a digital product is being developed.
The opportunity was recently shared by Blind Citizens Australia as part of its September member update.
For more information about Circles & Hearths and the accessibility testing opportunity, read the Blind Citizens Australia September Member Update.