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Developing an Inclusive 

Web Survey Design for 

Respondents with 

Disabilities 

Jessica Jagger, U.S. Marine Corps 

Ashley Schaad, ICF International 

Ashleigh Hiott, ICF International 

Amy Falcone, ICF International 

Prepared for: 

FCSM 2013 

November 4, 2013 
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Presentation Overview 

 Background 

 Case Study: Library of Congress National Library 

Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) 

• Challenge 1: Design 

• Challenge 2: Time 

• Challenge 3: Testing 

• Challenge 4: Technical issues 

 Practical Tips 
Background 

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Background: Disability Prevalence 

 18.7% of Americans have a 

disability (Brault, 2012) 

 508 compliance: 

• Who must comply? 

• What counts as compliance? 

% of adults* ... (CDC, 2013)

... with hearing trouble 16%

... with vision trouble 9.2%

... with any physical 

functioning difficulty

16.2% 

... with at least one basic 

actions difficulty or complex 

health limitation**

32.9% 

... 65 and older with at least 

one basic actions difficulty or 

complex health limitation**

62.0% 

* 18 and older unless otherwise noted 

**A basic actions difficulty is defined as having one or more of the following difficulties: movement, emotional, sensory 

(seeing or hearing), or cognitive. A complex activity limitation is defined as having one or more of the following 

limitations: self-care (activities of daily living or instrumental activities of daily living), social, or work. 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

 People with blindness or visual impairments may use any 

of more than 30 types of assistive technology (AT) or 

accommodations1 

• There are more than a dozen vendors of screen reading software2 

and at least 7 different commonly used screen readers. In a recent

international survey of 1782 screen reader users3: 

–49% indicated JAWS was their primary screen reader 

–27.7% used Braille output with their screen reader 

–17% also used one or more visual features 

–40% indicated web content accessibility has not changed, while 25% 

indicated web content has become less accessible. 

–54.2% indicated social media sites are very or somewhat accessible

1 http://askjan.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Vis11 

2 http://askjan.org/cgi-win/OrgQuery.exe?Vis11 

3 http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4 

 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

 Individuals with learning disabilities who have difficulty 

reading (e.g., dyslexia) may use several different ATs or 

devices to access on-screen text and several other ATs 

to read printed text4

 Individuals with other physical disabilities that limit 

dexterity/ upper limb mobility use a variety of ATs to 

assist with keyboarding/data entry, writing, using the 

telephone, gripping items, lifting items, and filing 

papers5

4

 http://askjan.org/soar/LD/reading.html 

5 http://askjan.org/media/ampu.htm 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

Screen Readers 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

Magnification Software 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

Contrast Coloring 
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Background: Assistive Technologies 

Computer Braille Display 
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Case Study: 

Library of Congress National 

Library Service for the Blind and 

Physically Handicapped (NLS) 
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Case Study: Background 

 Inclusive, multi-mode (web and phone) survey 

• Visual, physical, and cognitive/reading impairments 

 2,741 respondents 

• 86% responded by web 

• 91% blind/visual impairment 

• 91% accessed the internet 

 in the past week 

• 70% use screen readers 

Ages of Web Respondents 

11%

14%

20%

36%

15%

4%
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Challenge 1: Balancing web design 

 Scrolling 

 Underlining, italicizing, bolding, and using all capital

letters 

 Questions in grids 

 Progress bars 

 Logos, visual aids, coloring, and graphics 
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Challenge 2: Adjusting time requirements 

 Despite taking longer, 94% of 

respondents chose to complete the 

survey by web instead of phone 

 Possible reasons for time differences: 

• Differing levels of experience in using 

accessible technology 

• Extra time to read instructions and 

response options that others might skim 

or ignore (e.g., question number, next 

button, etc.) 

• Technical issues with functionality of 

differing technologies (e.g., tab versus 

enter) causing logouts or incorrect 

navigation 

• Reading “hidden” code 

Average time between 

beginning and completing 

the survey, in minutes 

Phone Survey Web Survey 

25.7

40.9
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Challenge 3: Testing 

 In a recent international survey of 1782 screen reader 

users6: 

• 67% see free or low-cost screen readers such as NVDA or 

VoiceOver as viable alternatives to commercial screen readers 

• 72% use screen readers for mobile phones or mobile devices 

• 59% use Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch as their primary mobile 

platform 

64%

43%

31%

22% 21%

7%

3%

6%

 JAWS NVDA VoiceOver System Window ZoomText ChromeVox Other 

 Access Eyes 6 http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4 

 
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Challenge 3: Testing 

Do advanced research 

Don’t design to one particular type of screen reader 

Do test with several types of assistive devices/software 

Do test with users familiar with the technology 

Do plan for multi-phase testing 

Do provide your programmer access to commonly used 

assistive technology/time to familiarize self with it 
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Challenge 4: Responding to technical issues 

 Different technologies may respond differently to 

various aspects of the programming 

• Not always possible to facilitate all in the same survey 

 Assistive technology adds another layer for error 

• Determining source of error – survey itself or assistive 

technology 

• Replicating errors without access to the specific technology 

used 
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Challenge 4: Responding to technical issues 

 Breakout of technical issues 

37%

Unable to recall 

password 

11% 

Navigation errors 

affiliated with 

screen readers 

52%

General navigation 

issues (e.g., tab 

versus enter) 

N= 27 
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Challenge 4: Responding to technical issues 

 Sampling of comments on survey usability and design from 

actual respondents: 

• “I filled [the survey] out with no problems...Maybe my using jaws might 

have helped, I've heard on other lists, that people who use windoweyes had some [trouble].” 

•“Could have put more questions on a single page which would have 

helped speed up the time” 

• “Some of us have noticed one technical issue...at the very beginning 

after you enter your user name. IF you immediately hit the enter key, 

all works well from there. But if you tab to the submit button and enter 

there, you get taken all the way to the end of the survey. IT took me 3 

tries to get the thing started and two other [organization] members 

reported this problem to me. I told them How I got around the problem 

and they were able to do the survey.”

*obtained directly via respondent emails or from posts on various online discussion boards 
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Challenge 4: Responding to technical issues 

 Ability to log into the survey multiple times in case of 

survey logout issues with technology 

 Help Desk/technical assistance 

 Multi-mode options 
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Practical Tips 
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Practical Tips 

 Consider the audience 

• For populations with a high proportion of respondents with disabilities 

– Design web surveys for ease of use (e.g., avoid grids, place several 

questions per page, eliminate unnecessary visuals) 

– Factor in extra time for completion 

– Test with members of the target audience using various assistive technology 

• For all survey populations 

– Consider a multi mode options 

– Utilize log in/log out ability for long or complex surveys 

– Consider how the survey experience will differ for respondents with and 

without disabilities (e.g., underlining, visuals) 
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Web Survey Accessibility Basics 

 People first language (e.g., woman who uses a 

wheelchair) 

 Enlarging 

 Screen readers 

 Color inversion 

 Different browsers 

 Accessibility to individuals with memory problems, attention 

problems, and/or reading and comprehension problems 

(e.g., dyslexia) 
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References 

 Brault, M.W. (July 2012). Americans with disabilities: 2010. Retrieved 

on March 7, 2013, from: http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/p70-

131.pdf 

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (May 30, 2013). 

Disability and functioning (adults). Retrieved August 12, 2013, from: 

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/disable.htm 

 Job Accommodation Network from the U.S. Department of Labor 

Office of Disability Employment Policy. Retrieved August 12, 2013, 

from: http://askjan.org/

 Section508.gov (May 2011). Laws. Retrieved August 12, 2013, from: 

https://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?fuseAction=Laws

 WebAIM. (May 2012). Screen reader user survey #4 results. 

Retrieved August 20, 2013, from: 

http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey4
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Jessica Jagger 

USMC Behavioral Health 

jessica.jagger@usmc.mil 

703.432.9109 

Ashley Schaad 

ICF International 

ashley.schaad@icfi.com

910-436-1853
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