{"id":47640,"date":"2020-04-28T16:04:08","date_gmt":"2020-04-28T20:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=47640"},"modified":"2024-08-23T07:44:34","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T11:44:34","slug":"accessibility-in-surveys-what-it-means-why-it-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/accessibility-in-surveys-what-it-means-why-it-matters\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility in Surveys: What it Means, Why it Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing the word \u201caccessibility\u201d people tend to think of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and compliance. Then, they shrug and figure that it&#8217;s just about buildings. But accessibility applies also to conducting surveys and doing research. This article examines what accessibility means and why it\u2019s important to think about it when designing surveys, questionnaires, or other research projects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main focus when talking about<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/online-survey-participation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accessibility in surveys and questionnaires<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is on Section 508 compliance. This amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973 \u201crequires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">OK, what does that mean? If you\u2019re planning on sharing a survey with respondents who have a visual, hearing, ambulatory, or cognitive disability, you need to plan accordingly. Best practices include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Providing necessary messaging to ensure everyone can understand the survey, no matter how they&#8217;re accessing it<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring impaired users are not excluded due to reading or navigation issues<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoiding question types that are not accessible (e.g. someone using a screen reader to access your survey can\u2019t highlight text)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding useful descriptions that a screen reader can relay to help users navigate images, grids and tables<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Testing to ensure participants can interact with the survey using screen magnifiers, screen readers, or voice recognition and don\u2019t require a mouse or keyboard<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disabling time limits<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cOn average, 13.2 million people in the United States have at least one disability that <a href=\"https:\/\/accessibe.com\/compliance\/section-508\">Section 508 compliance<\/a> is meant to help with.\u201d \u2014 Health &amp; Human Services<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-47641\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"survey accessibility\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-1131374713-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Defining Accessibility More Broadly<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course we encourage everyone to incorporate those best practices into their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/introduction-design-a-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">survey or research questionnaire design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. However, addressing accessibility doesn\u2019t stop with accounting for disabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You should also be thinking about literacy, your choice of language, the possible need for translation, the distancing nature of jargon, and device agnosticism. Let\u2019s consider each of these obstacles in more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Literacy. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carefully consider whether you want to include or exclude people with limited English language literacy. If your participants will be unable to understand the information presented or questions asked, it could impact results. Certainly, if participant consent is necessary, it is critical that they understand what they are agreeing to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Language. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s best to avoid language that could cause a survey or research participant to feel excluded. Be aware that gender inferences can be distracting and create barriers. Select phrasings that demonstrate respect. Think about adjusting your language use as if you\u2019re talking to a grandparent. And you don\u2019t want to insult or confuse that beloved family member. (See how we avoided gender there?).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Translations.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For accurate results, you need the right sample population. That could mean seeking input in a variety of languages.<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/how-to-add-secondary-languages\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sogolytics\u2019s multilingual surveys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can help you reach and research a broad, global network of customers, employees, vendors, partners, and prospects.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Along with language differences, there may also be cultural differences you need to consider. Even how you ask <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/international-survey-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">someone to fill in the date<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> could vary depending on where your participants are in the world!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Jargon. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">YMKIBDYA. You probably read that and wondered what on earth it could mean. What, you don\u2019t know the abbreviation for \u201cYou may know it but does your audience?\u201d Oh, we just assumed. That\u2019s the kind of thing you can\u2019t do in creating a project. Abbreviations can confuse respondents almost as much as highfalutin jargon.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In developing questions, you want to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Focus on posing questions written using information that is common knowledge. When in doubt, always simplify.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Device Agnosticism. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember filling in bubbles using a No. 2 pencil? That used to be the main way to survey. Now, there are as many ways to ask questions as there are different devices available. To reach a broad sample population, you need to design a project compatible with computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones such as Android, iPhone, and Blackberry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/help\/mobile-friendly-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating a survey for mobile use<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also makes sense if you want to reach more people in our handheld-device-happy world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-47642\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"survey accessibility\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/GettyImages-932633170-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Accessibility Matters<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As far as Section 508, accessibility is the law. But, assuming you care about survey or research validity, taking the broader view of accessibility also helps you encourage participation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Including or excluding the wrong participants can skew your results. Then you\u2019ve put all that effort into designing a project that isn\u2019t going to accomplish what you wanted it to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In designing a project, think of your target audience. Along with considering demographics and diversity, make sure everyone can access, understand, and answer your surveys or questionnaires. It\u2019s one great way to encourage participation. When you see a higher level of engagement in your project, your results have that much greater credibility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sogolytics offers customer and employee experience and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/online-survey-tool\/\">online survey and quiz tools<\/a>. Enjoy secure surveying on our sophisticated online research platform. <a class=\"lct_radbtn\">Find out more<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hearing the word \u201caccessibility\u201d people tend to think of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and compliance. Then, they shrug and figure that it&#8217;s just about buildings. But accessibility applies also to conducting surveys and doing research. This article examines what accessibility means and why it\u2019s important to think about it when designing surveys, questionnaires, or other research projects. \u00a0 The main focus when talking about accessibility in surveys and questionnaires is on Section 508 compliance. This amendment to the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973 \u201crequires that all website content be accessible to people with disabilities.\u201d \u00a0 OK, what does that mean? If you\u2019re planning on sharing a survey with respondents who have a visual, hearing, ambulatory, or cognitive disability, you need to plan accordingly. Best practices include: Providing necessary messaging to ensure everyone can understand the survey, no matter how they&#8217;re accessing it Ensuring impaired users are not excluded due to reading or navigation issues Avoiding question types that are not accessible (e.g. someone using a screen reader to access your survey can\u2019t highlight text) Adding useful descriptions that a screen reader can relay to help users navigate images, grids and tables Testing to ensure participants can interact with the survey using screen magnifiers, screen readers, or voice recognition and don\u2019t require a mouse or keyboard Disabling time limits &nbsp; Defining Accessibility More Broadly Of course we encourage everyone to incorporate those best practices into their survey or research questionnaire design. However, addressing accessibility doesn\u2019t stop with accounting for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":5049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,75],"tags":[445,396,446,112],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Accessibility in Surveys: What it Means, Why it Matters - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Accessibility is more than physical access to environments -- it also applies to survey questionnaire design. Here\u2019s what it means and why it matters.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/accessibility-in-surveys-what-it-means-why-it-matters\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Accessibility in Surveys: What it Means, Why it Matters - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Accessibility is more than physical access to environments -- it also applies to survey questionnaire design. 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