Involving people of determination in accessibility work

Research with people of determination helps teams understand how accessibility barriers affect real tasks. It reveals where people need support, encounter confusion or find alternative ways to complete a journey.

Combine this evidence with specialist evaluation. Together, the methods explain both the user experience and the technical requirements that need attention; participation alone does not establish conformance.

Define the research question

Choose a question that can be explored in a session, such as whether someone can complete an application, understand eligibility information or recover from an error.

Recruit participants with relevant experience, considering language, devices, assistive technology and familiarity with the task. Respect individual terminology preferences and treat each person’s experience as part of a wider evidence base.

Support participation

Plan accessible participation from the first invitation:

• Ask about access needs and how someone prefers to take part.
• Share materials in advance, in a format they can use, and allow time for breaks.
• Agree payment, and be clear about how observations or recordings will be used.
• Let people use their own devices and assistive technology wherever the study allows.

During the session, allow participants time to work in their own way. Observe where they pause or seek help, and use open questions to understand their experience without directing their answers.

Use realistic tasks

For an appointment service, a task might involve finding a suitable slot, entering the required details and understanding the confirmation. Give participants a realistic goal and observe how they approach it.

Agree how the facilitator will respond if a barrier prevents progress. Offer support when needed and record the intervention, so the findings accurately reflect what the person could complete independently.

Keep the following distinct when recording findings:

• What happened.
• What the participant said, in their own words and with their agreement.
• What the team thinks explains it.

This separation helps reviewers distinguish observed evidence from interpretation and identify questions that need further investigation.

Apply the findings

Share findings with the teams responsible for changes. Describe the task, context and barrier, then use specialist evaluation to connect the observation with relevant design, implementation or content requirements. See how AxessAll combines these methods.

Prioritise by user impact and the reach of affected components. Agree how changes will be verified and document the study’s coverage and limitations alongside any technical assessment.

Follow up with participants in the way agreed, explaining how their contribution informed the work. This completes the research process and recognises the value of their participation.