All right. So today we're going to, um,
we're diving into something that's actually kind of surprising when you think
about it. Okay. Ordering food online. Yeah. Sounds simple enough, right? Right.
But it can be a real challenge for people with visual impairments. Exactly.
You know, we're so used to just like scrolling through those menus on our
phones, uh, tapping away, but for someone who can't see those menus,
it's a completely different story. Yeah. I have to admit,
I don't think I've ever really considered that before. Right.
So to dig into this a little deeper,
we're looking at some research from Gesellschaft zur Entwicklung von Dingen.
Yeah. G-A-E-V-D for short. Catchy. It is catchy.
They're a German organization that's doing some really cool work on digital
accessibility.
And what's really neat about their approach is they call it usability,
usability, usability. Yeah.
It's like a combination of usability and accessibility all rolled into one.
I like it. Okay. So tell me more about this usability.
How does it actually work in practice?
So picture this. They bring in a colleague who is visually impaired,
and they have him use these food delivery websites, just like you or I would.
Okay. They tested out five popular platforms,
Leafferando food Panda, call a pizza Walt and Uber eats.
Gotcha. So like the big names. Yeah, exactly. The usual suspects.
But here's where the usability part comes in as he's navigating the sites using
his screen reader. He's talking out loud the whole time. Interesting. Yeah.
He's sharing his thought process, every frustration, every obstacle he hits.
It's like getting a glimpse into a world that most of us as sighted users never
even have to think about precisely. So what did they find?
Was our pizza loving friend able to actually order some dinner?
So here's the thing. Three out of the five platforms call a pizza pizza.
Uber eats and Walt were completely unusable for him. Whoa. Seriously. Seriously.
He just couldn't get through the process.
Imagine like hitting a wall because a form field wasn't labeled properly or a
button didn't give any indication that it had been clicked. Wow.
That's frustrating. Incredibly frustrating.
He was basically left stranded high and dry. No pizza for him.
That's awful.
It really makes you realize how something we take for granted could be such an
ordeal for someone else. Absolutely. So, okay.
What about the other two platforms? Leaf Rondo and Food Panda?
Were those any better? They worked,
but let's just say it wasn't exactly a smooth ride. Even on those platforms,
it took him a painful 20 to 40 minutes of battling with the websites just to get
an order through. Are you kidding? 40 minutes? I know.
Can you imagine being hungry and then having to wait that long just because of
bad website design? Talk about adding insult to injury. Right.
So the report mentioned some common design flaws that kept popping up.
Can you walk us through some of those? What were some of the main culprits?
Yeah. So one of the biggest issues was poorly labeled form elements.
Okay. Like imagine a button that just says submit. Right. To you or me,
the context might be obvious, but for someone using a screen reader,
that button is meaningless without a clear descriptive label.
It's like walking down a hallway of unmarked doors.
You have no idea what's behind each one. That's a great analogy. I get it.
It can be incredibly disorienting for sure. So labels are super important.
What other issues did they find?
Another really common problem was a lack of feedback after a button was pressed.
Oh, so you click a button and then nothing. Exactly.
You don't know if anything happened for someone who can't see the screen.
That confirmation is absolutely crucial. That makes sense. Yeah. Okay.
So we've got labels and feedback. What else? Oh, and this one's a big one.
Finding the shopping cart. It sounds simple enough,
but if it's not properly labeled and positioned within the website structure,
it can be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Yeah,
I can see how that would be really annoying,
especially if you're hungry and just want to check out. Absolutely.
Anything else, or was that pretty much it? Well,
there's one more thing and it's a head scratcher.
Some of the websites actually switched languages in the middle of the ordering
process. Wait, you mean like mid sentence,
it would just switch to different language? Pretty much.
Imagine listening to everything in one language and suddenly bam,
it switches to another. Wow. That's just inconsiderate.
Incredibly disorienting,
especially for someone using a screen reader who might not be fluent in both
languages. It's just bad design all around. Wow.
It's amazing how such seemingly small oversights can create such huge
barriers. It really is.
It's a good reminder that we as sighted users really do take for granted how easy
we have it when it comes to navigating the online world.
I think that's a really important point and it highlights why clear headings,
intuitive design and proper coding are so crucial for making sure websites are
accessible to everyone. It's not just about following some abstract guidelines.
It's about making sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities,
can fully participate in our increasingly digital world.
And that actually brings us to something I wanted to touch on before we move on
to the next part. This isn't just about ordering pizza, right?
This has implications for so many other aspects of our lives.
But before we dive into that, let's take a quick break to hear from our sponsors.
So we're back and you know,
it's really made me think differently about something as everyday as ordering
takeout. Yeah. It really puts things in perspective. It does.
And as we were saying before the break, this goes way beyond just food.
Right. Absolutely. When we talk about digital inclusion,
we're talking about access to everything, information, essential services,
the ability to connect with others, all those things that make life, you know,
worth living. Exactly. And more and more of those things are happening online.
Right. Exactly. It's like you said,
it's about being able to fully participate in society. That's it.
That's the heart of it.
So how does GEVD actually help make that happen?
Well,
one of the really cool things they do is provide accessibility testing and consulting to
companies. Oh, interesting.
So they work directly with these companies to make their websites and apps more
accessible. Exactly.
They'll do a deep dive into a company's digital products and pinpoint exactly
where they're falling short on accessibility.
So they're like digital accessibility detectives.
I like that, but they don't just point out the problems.
They actually offer solutions.
They work with the companies to help them understand how to make their products
truly inclusive. So it's a collaborative process.
It is. And they're also big on just raising awareness about these issues,
because sometimes it really is just a lack of understanding that leads to these
oversights. I can see that. I mean, I like to think I'm pretty tech savvy,
but I'll admit accessibility wasn't really something I thought about much when it
came to website design before we started looking into this. Right.
And most people don't. And that's okay.
It's not always on our radar until we experience those barriers firsthand.
But thankfully there are laws in place to help make sure digital inclusion isn't
just a nice idea. It's actually a requirement. Yeah, you're right.
I remember reading about that in the research.
Can you remind us what those laws say? Sure. So in many countries,
including Germany, where G E E E V D is based websites and digital services are
legally required to be accessible to people with disabilities.
So there are actual legal consequences for not making websites accessible.
That's right. It's based on the understanding that in today's world,
equal access online is a fundamental right.
Just like access to physical spaces should be. That makes sense.
So it's not just about doing the right thing.
It's about complying with the law. Exactly.
Even beyond the legal reasons,
I bet there are some pretty good business reasons for companies to make
accessibility a priority. Oh, absolutely. From an ethical standpoint,
it's simply the right thing to do.
Everyone deserves equal access regardless of their abilities.
But then there's also the business case.
When you create a more inclusive experience,
you're naturally going to attract a wider customer base. Right.
You're not excluding a significant chunk of potential customers just because of
bad design. Precisely.
And studies have actually shown that accessible design leads to higher
customer satisfaction and loyalty across the board. That's interesting.
So it's not just the right thing to do. It's also good for business. Exactly.
It's a win-win. When a website is designed with accessibility in mind,
it just makes it better for everyone. It's clearer, more intuitive,
easier to use. It's like you said earlier,
good design is accessible design. Exactly.
And that brings us back to GEVD and why their work is so important.
They're advocating for a better internet for everyone. Absolutely.
A more inclusive digital landscape for all.
So how can our listeners learn more about GEVD and the work that they do?
They have a great website with tons of information. You'll find articles,
case studies, details about their services.
It's all geared towards creating a more inclusive digital world. Awesome.
We'll definitely put a link to their website in the show notes for this
episode. Now, before we wrap things up,
I wanted to circle back to something that really struck me and that's how
something as simple as ordering food,
something most of us never even think twice about can be such a major hurdle for
someone who is visually impaired. Yeah, it is eyeopening, isn't it?
It really is.
It's a good reminder that accessibility isn't just about these big grand
gestures. It's about paying attention to the little things,
considering how every design choice impacts everyone.
That's such a crucial point.
Accessibility isn't about creating special features for a select few.
It's about designing with everyone in mind right from the very start.
And that brings us to,
it really makes you think about all the little things we take for granted when
we're online.
It really does. And the more we talk about it,
the more aware we become of these issues because at the end of the day,
it's about creating a more equitable society for everyone,
both online and offline.
Absolutely. So as we wrap up our deep dive today,
what's the one thing you hope our listeners take away from this conversation?
I'd say the most important thing is to remember that accessibility is everyone's
responsibility. Okay. I like that.
It's not just on designers or developers.
It's something we should all be thinking about and advocating for. You know,
the next time you're on a website or using an app,
take a second to think about how someone with a disability might experience it.
That's a great point. Put yourself in their shoes. Exactly.
Could they easily navigate it? Could they access all the content?
Would it be a seamless experience or a frustrating one?
Those are really important questions to be asking.
And for those of you listening who are involved in designing or building websites,
I really encourage you to do your research. Learn about accessibility,
best practices.
There are tons of resources available online and it's worth it. Trust me.
Yeah. It's an investment and a more inclusive future for everyone. Well said.
Well, on that note, it's time for us to sign off a huge thank you to GECDD
for the amazing work they're doing to make the digital world a more inclusive
place. Absolutely fantastic work. And to all our listeners out there,
thank you for joining us on this deep dive.
We hope you learned something new today and that you'll keep exploring the world
with a curious mind until next time.