Project #
Iowa State University of Science and Technology is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. It is the largest university in the state of Iowa and the third-largest university in the Big 12 athletic conference.
In December 2021, I began phase 1 of my thesis research project; a survey sent out to tech professionals to gauge their understanding and attitudes around digital accessibility.
Objective #
Building inclusivity in mind websites, apps, and other digital products can be time-consuming, require expert knowledge of regulations (WCAG, Section 508, etc.), specialized understanding of coding/design techniques, and usability testing with assistive technology (AT) devices. But even with these complications, many digital accessibility professionals tirelessly work to create assets. Why is that? This study is to understand tech professionals' knowledge, attitude, and motivation in digital accessibility.
By surveying a large group of tech professionals, I hope to understand why some people focus on accessibility even though it is costly in terms of effort and time. Conversely, I am interested in data that shows why a tech professional would not pursue digital accessibility in their products.
Work #
The focus of my thesis study's phase 1 and phase 2 on tech professionals included currently employed either full-time, part-time, or on a contract/consulting basis. The survey included designers, UX/UI researchers, developers, project/program managers, consultants, and/or trainers. This group in tech represents the people who have the most impact on the accessibility of current digital products.
Phase 1 #
I created a Qualtrics survey, then posted it publicly for any tech professional to take. It was posted on my website, on my social media platforms, in Slack messenger, plus shared by word of mouth to any tech professionals. The informed consent is given before the beginning of the data collection portion of the survey, and if individuals did not consent or were under 18 years old, they were directed to the end of the survey.
The survey asked for demographic information relevant to digital accessibility and the role of the person completing the survey in the tech industry. During the study, participants were not forced to disclose their disability status. Participants did have the ability to self-disclose their disability status voluntarily.
Phase 2 #
Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with individuals from populations of interest (up to 15 participants as indicated by the Qualtrics survey). At no point in time during the study will the participants be forced to disclose their disability status. Participants will have the ability to self-disclose their disability status voluntarily. Only audio recordings will be used during this stage and conducted via Zoom, with all identifiable information will be removed.
End Result #
I am currently evaluating the quantitative data from phase 1 using JASP. The qualitative data for phase 2 will be collected in late January and eventually evaluated using Taguette. I hope to publish this data soon as a paper or talk.
Team #
My graduate committee team has been instrumental in this user study. They have helped me refine my survey and interview questions during every stage of the IRB process and beyond. My graduate committee is comprised of Dr. Sunghyun Kang (primary advisor), Dr. Cyndi Wiley (co-primary advisor), Dr. Michael Dorneich, Dr. Alyssa Emery, and Dr. Daejin Kim.
Reflection #
So far, I have learned a lot going through the IRB process at Iowa State University. It was more rigorous a process than I had anticipated. The initial submission for phase 1 and phase 2 of my research took almost four months to be approved, even though it was a simple enough study, partially due to the potential sensitivity of the questions being asked and that people with certain disabilities are a protected group. I am thankful for the thoroughness of the IRB, and I learned a lot about how to streamline the process in the future.
