Enhancing UX and Accessibility for Uruguay's Census

I joined the project in the final stage of development, with an experimental census completed as a test stage prior to the official launch. My role was to analyze accessibility from the design and interaction side, ensuring the digital census was accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability.

Given the nature of the project, we prioritized the elderly population, people with disabilities who use assistive technologies, and individuals using low-cost cell phones.

Some major challenges include: lack of test environments, limited information for conducting real tests, and asynchronous communication with the developer responsible for fixing barriers.

To address these, I collaborated closely with the PM to gather representative data and scenarios, ensuring realistic testing. Additionally, I set up meetings and created detailed documentation to maintain consistent and efficient communication.

The scope of the analysis covered the entire digital census flow, from personal data upload to subsequent submission. I began with a design review focused on accessibility, used automated tools, and tested the form with screen readers. Emphasis was placed on testing the Android experience more thoroughly, according to the proposed objectives.

We followed WCAG 2.1 level AA guidelines and some AAA level guidelines, related to visual presentation, time limits, and enhanced contrast, as requested by the client.

Auditing process:

• Design Review: Assessed visual elements such as color contrast, color usage (ensuring it wasn't used to convey information), typography legibility and readability, images, and multimedia. Found that color usage and contrast were compliant, but noted missing image descriptions.
• Automated Tools: Used Accessibility Insights and an HTML code validator to evaluate website accessibility. Detected code errors, including issues with form fields and missing ARIA attributes. This provided an initial assessment of compliance with WCAG guidelines and highlighted areas needing further attention.
• Assistive Technology: Tested navigation using keyboard and screen readers (VoiceOver, NVDA, and TalkBack on Android). Identified navigation issues and missing image descriptions that affected screen reader users. Ensured that critical accessibility barriers were addressed, improving overall usability for assistive technology users.
• WCAG Audit: Performed a detailed audit against WCAG 2.1 AA and some AAA guidelines. Documented areas of compliance and non-compliance, which informed the final report and guided the remediation efforts.

The audit led to fixing critical code errors, which had a significant impact on accessibility. For instance, resolving critical errors in keyboard navigation, where users would experience issues such as being unable to progress due to the keyboard being stuck, was crucial.

Given that the developer wasn't an expert in accessibility, detailed documentation was key. I provided actual code examples and added information on how to apply WCAG techniques effectively.

The final report was sent with follow-up meetings scheduled to clarify findings and solutions. The report identified errors, particularly in the application of code within form fields. A post-remediation analysis was conducted by specialized accessibility testers to ensure that all issues were effectively resolved.

Average time to complete the census was 30 minutes and most people (80.2%) completed it from a cell phone, highlighting the importance of prioritizing the mobile experience as well.

This experience emphasized the need for clear, customized documentation. In future projects, I will focus on developing tailored templates instead of relying on standard ones.

The lack of feedback on this project underscored the importance of internal validation processes and the need for user advocacy within the team. Additionally, this project reinforced the importance of early accessibility testing and the value of cross-functional collaboration.