Evaluating Accessible Synchronous CMC Applications

TL;DR

This paper introduces a comprehensive evaluation method for accessible synchronous communication apps, including a novel Turing Test-inspired user test to assess user experience for individuals with disabilities.

Contribution

It proposes a new evaluation methodology that considers interaction effects and introduces a Turing Test-inspired user assessment for accessibility.

Findings

Validated the evaluation method with two communication applications.

Demonstrated the effectiveness of the Turing Test-inspired user test.

Provided insights into user experience for users with disabilities.

Abstract

This paper proposes a more comprehensive evaluation methodology to measure the usability and user experience qualities of accessible synchronous computer-mediated communication applications. The methodology goes beyond current practices by evaluating how the interaction between a user and a product influences the user experience of those at the other endpoint of the communication channel. A major contribution is given with the proposal of a user test where one of the participants tries to guess whether the other participant has a disability or not. The proposed test is inspired in the Turing Test, and is a consequence of user requirements elicited from a group of individuals with motor and speech disabilities. These ideas are tested and validated with two examples of synchronous communication applications.