The Accessibility Simulator is meant to create empathy for those who suffer from web accessibility issues due to disabilities. The most common disabilities affected by the web are Dyslexia, visual impairment and Autism. Approximately 43.5 million Americans suffer from Dyslexia, 12 million Americans have some Visual Impairment (with 1 million legally blind), and 6 million Americans suffer from Autism.
This project is meant to help those who do not suffer from such disabilities understand the experience of someone who does. It simulates how people with Dyslexia, Blindness, and Autism experience the web in order to create empathy for them. Through this experience, the aim is for web, UX, and UI Designers to start thinking from the point of view of those who go through these difficulties that are exacerbated by the lack of proper web accessibility. A 2019 study by the WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind) Organization found that of the top 1 million website homepages on the internet, 97.8% had notable Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors. While the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) already exist to guide Designers on how to improve web accessibility, this project aims at creating an urgency to adhere to these guidelines by increasing empathy for those who suffer from carelessness with web accessibility.
You have the option to go through the experience of someone with Dyslexia, Blindness, and Autism. You can click either of the three buttons below to go through the experience.
Each experience is broken up as a task that you must perform, after which there is a timed quiz that tests if you were able to complete the task properly.