Videos: Demos of blind and low vision users

The following videos demonstrate the experience of blind and low vision individuals using assistive technology (AT), namely screen readers and magnifiers, in a variety of digital environments and situations. Some of the videos present digital content that exemplifies a design that works well, while other videos present designs that do not work. In all situations though, the audience has the opportunity to see what is on the screen, observe how the AT interacts with it, and listen to the user comment on the experience.

We understand that screen readers and magnifiers can be foreign to someone who has never seen or experienced them, so the main goal of these videos is to provide an opportunity to observe a native user interacting with content; a situation that is not replicable by a sighted user interacting with tools and content. The videos do not provide solutions to the demonstrated problems, nor do they provide details on how the successful content items were built. Details about particular issues can be found in the Accessibility Standards and Issues Database. Other information and resources are also available through the AUL’s variety of training opportunities.

• What is Accessibility?
  It can be difficult to define whether or not digital content is actually accessible. This video contains three examples of why it can be hard to decide.
• General Screen Reader Demo
  Using a screen reader to find information on a calendar.  This video gives a general idea of what it looks and feels like to navigate with a screen reader, as well as some simple design components that help make content more accessible.
• A Screen Magnifier Interacts with Graphic Effects
  A variety of visual effects such as scrolling, moving and changing text or graphics, and fixed menus can make a screen magnifier user’s experience disorienting.
  • Inappropriate Table Use and Screen Reader
    Using tables for layout, rather than for data, and why it’s problematic.
• Meaningful Labels for Screen Reader Accessibility
  Importance of conveying visual information by using alt text and other methods.
• Accessible Drop Down Menus with a Screen Reader
  Accessible and inaccessible drop down menus.
• Accessible and Inaccessible Graphics with a Screen Reader
  Why it is essential to appropriately label graphics because the entire meaning of the graphic is lost without the label.
• Information of Change and Screen Reader Accessibility
  A quick example of the current state on a control not changing.
• Navigating Disorganized Content with a Screen Reader
  Fundamental problems surrounding the organization of a whole site cause difficulty navigating that site.
• Pop Up Box Accessibility for Screen Readers
  Problems with a popup box form failing to make user aware of errors.
• Form Accessibility with a Screen Reader
  Problems and strong points when accessing forms.
• Navigating Clutter with a Screen Reader
  How content that might be easy to skip over visually gets in the way with a screen reader.
• Table Accessibility with a Screen Reader
  A couple of the most important aspects of tables.
• Give Users Control of Content for Screen Reader Accessibility
  What happens when a screen reader user doesn’t have control of content.
• Importance of Headings to Screen Readers
  Visual information not being communicated to screen reader.
• Programmatic Information Makes Visible Information Accessible to the Screen Reader
  A screen reader user having trouble knowing how to use items on a page because of a lack of programmatic information.
  • Focus and Tab Order Help with Screen Reader Accessibility
    Problems with focus and tab order on the Zoom conferencing app.
    • Tab Order Accessibility for Screen Readers
      The importance of tab order and how it affects accessibility