Usability vs. Accessibility: Two Pillars of Effective Product Design

Digital products today increasingly compete on user experience. In a crowded technology marketplace, buyers prioritize tools based on how easy and intuitive they are to use. For teams aiming to design successful products, two considerations are now non-negotiable: usability and accessibility.

While sometimes applied interchangeably, the two terms refer to distinct, but closely interconnected, concepts. In this blog, we’ll unpack the difference between usability and accessibility and how they relate to each other.

Usability and accessibility: What’s the difference?

According to the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C), usability “is about designing digital experiences to be effective, efficient, and satisfying” for everyone. Meanwhile, digital accessibility ensures that people with disabilities have equivalent user experiences. Let’s take a deeper dive into usability and accessibility to better understand their nuances.

Understanding usability

Usability refers to the overall quality of a person’s experience with a digital product, device, application, or website. How easy is it for someone to use? Can the user accomplish their tasks quickly, without frustration?

According to Jakob Nielsen, user advocate and co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, there are five characteristics of usability:

• Learnability: On a website, application, or other digital platform, learnability means that the design is intuitive and easy for a brand-new user to figure out.
• Efficiency: Efficiency is concerned with one core question: How quickly and easily can a user carry out the task they came to accomplish? In other words, how many interactions (e.g., clicks), steps, or pages must a user navigate through to access what they’re looking for?
• Memorability: Suppose a user returns to an app, website, product, or platform again after an extended hiatus. A consistent, memorable user interface and user experience design makes it so that they can jump back in without needing to relearn everything.
• Errors: User error is bound to happen. However, a usable digital experience places constraints and offers suggestions to help users prevent errors and swiftly correct them.
• Satisfaction: In the context of usability, satisfaction means that a design is pleasant to use, and it answers the question, “Did the user enjoy interacting with the platform?” To provide satisfying experiences, designers should aim to minimize frustrations and annoyance.

Understanding digital accessibility

Digital accessibility is the practice of creating and maintaining digital experiences that are barrier-free for people with disabilities. Many accessibility best practices are aimed at ensuring digital products and content are compatible with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice recognition software, and alternative input devices. However, accessible experiences must be usable for individuals with a wide range of access needs.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the established global standard for evaluating digital accessibility. These guidelines outline four core principles of accessibility, known as the “POUR” principles:

• Perceivable: Users must be able to perceive the content with their senses, whether through sight, hearing, or touch.
• Operable: Digital interfaces must be navigable and usable for all individuals, including those who rely on keyboard navigation or assistive technologies.
• Understandable: Content and interactions must be clear and predictable, preventing confusion and ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Robust: Digital products must work across different devices and assistive technologies, ensuring long-term accessibility and usability.

How digital accessibility and usability intersect

Because usability is a broad concept, many people falsely believe that accessibility is a subset of usability, concerned specifically with usability for people with disabilities. This interpretation implies that a product can be usable (for some) even if it’s not accessible.

We argue the opposite—accessibility is integral to usability. That’s because barriers to access are barriers to usability. If a product isn’t usable for all people, including those with disabilities, it isn’t usable, period.

Additionally, many design practices that improve digital accessibility also improve usability for people without disabilities. For example:

• Clear and consistent navigation not only benefits users with disabilities but also makes it easier for everyone to find and access content.
• Alternative (alt) text is essential for making visual content accessible to screen reader users and may help anyone with low internet bandwidth understand the purpose of images.
• Closed captions allow individuals with hearing disabilities to access video content and enhance comprehension for many other people.
• Clear and simple language makes content more digestible for the broadest possible audience.
• Sufficient color contrast between text and background elements supports users with low vision and color blindness—as well as anyone in a brightly lit environment.

Prioritize accessibility. Improve usability.

Accessibility isn’t separate from usability—it’s integral to designing products everyone can use. An expert partner, like Level Access, can provide the tools and guidance you need to provide a barrier-free user experience.

As the category leader in digital accessibility solutions, Level Access supports the three pillars of effective accessibility programs: Audit & Test, Build & Fix, and Governance & Reporting. Whether you’re getting started or scaling your practice, we’ll offer the technology and expertise required for lasting success.

Request a demo to learn more today.

FAQ

Availability vs. accessibility: What’s the difference?

Availability refers to whether a product or service is available to users, while accessibility focuses on whether users can effectively use the product or service. A website may be available to everyone, but if it’s not accessible, it fails to serve a sizable portion of its potential user base.  

What are the five Es of usability?

Usability goes beyond just ease of use. To ensure your designs truly succeed, they need to be: 

• Efficient: Users should be able to accomplish tasks quickly and with minimal effort. 

• Effective: The design should help users achieve their goals accurately and completely. 

• Engaging: The user experience should be enjoyable and keep users interested. 

• Easy to learn: New users should be able to understand and use the design with ease. 

• Error-tolerant: The design should minimize errors and provide clear, helpful feedback when mistakes do occur.

What is the first rule of usability?

Krug’s First Law of Usability, often referred to as the Principle of Self-Evidence, asserts that a website or application should be intuitive enough for users to navigate and use without needing instructions. The design should be clear and self-explanatory to prevent confusion and frustration. 

What is the difference between accessibility and digital accessibility?

Digital accessibility specifically refers to the practice of making digital content, such as websites, mobile apps, and software, accessible to people with disabilities. Accessibility is a broader term that encompasses various types of access, including physical access to buildings and other environments. While digital accessibility focuses on online content and applications, accessibility as a whole covers a wider range of inclusive design practices.