Online Employment Applications and Website Accessibility

Webinar Series for Business Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACEProjects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University

Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved

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Web sites chosen

2 online job application sites were chosen for each of the 8 states served by the Southeast DBTAC: Alabama Florida Georgia Kentucky Mississippi North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee



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Web sites chosen (cont.)

Honda Alabama

Pilgrims

Orlando Regional Healthcare

Home Shopping Network

Harland Clarke Holdings

MARTA Corp.

PNC Bank

Ford Motor Company

Smithfield Packing Co.

Lowes Inc.

Sonoco Products

Fluor Enterprises

Beau Rivage Resort and Casino

Hinds Community College

International Paper Co.

Dell Computer



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Research methodology

All participants utilized JAWS in the evaluations Participants were given the URL of the homepage of the

company/organization, and told to apply for a job of a certain category (e.g. help desk manager or software engineer)

A CV and e-mail account had previously been prepared for the participant to match the job category (with relevant work experience)

We used a modified usability methodology so that we could learn as much as possible about the barriers to online job applications

Online Employment Applications and Website Accessibility 092711 Presentation Outline

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Assisting participants

For many sites, core features (such as the “search jobs”function) were inaccessible

When users could not move forward and told us that they could not move forward, we offered to assist them, and we took very careful notes of when we were asked to perform an “intervention”

We performed a total of 34 interventions 2 categories of intervention: (18) verbal advice (16) performing a mouse click (when it was required)



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Assistance

Ideally, a user needs to apply for a job online without any assistance

However, we wanted to learn more about what are the most common challenges in online job application web sites

And if we did not assist the users in any way, very often, the users could not get beyond the homepage or job search page, and we would learn nothing about the problems that exist



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RESULTS


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Overall Results

24/32 applications were submitted, HOWEVER

Only 9/32 attempts at applying for a job online could be completed without assistance from the researchers

Some participants needed as many as 3 interventions

In usability testing research, this would be considered a task success rate of 28.1%



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Information on time taken to apply

Quickest submission: 23 minutes - MARTA

Longest submission (121 minutes) for successfullysubmitted individual applications:

• Beau Rivage, no intervention

• Orlando Health, 1 intervention

User gave up on one submission attempt (Beau Rivage) after 229 minutes, application was not submitted



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Software Notes

Note that 7 of the 16 sites use either the Taleo software or the Kenexa software for the application process

Taleo has over 5,000 customers

Kenexa is used in 11 languages and 115 countries (data from their respective web sites)

Imagine how minor changes to those two applications could have a major impact!


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Examples of specific problems that would stop blind users from applying for jobs online



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MARTA web site

Every job available had a link title of “click here to read more” from JAWS links list



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PNC Bank

The “search jobs” page was flash-based, with no textual equivalents, so unless you could use a mouse pointer, you could NOT search for jobs


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Smithfield Foods

To find out more about jobs, you were required to click on maps to select where you wanted to find a job, but there were no textual equivalents, so mouse usage was required



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International Paper

To find out more about careers, you were required to click on careers in a pull-down menu, but there were no textual equivalents, and no way to access it through JAWS, so mouse usage was required



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Sonoco

Feedback on problems with data entry is inaccessible…you get feedback by hovering over with the mouse, and the fields that are incorrect are marked in red. JAWS users only hear “Ok button. Press space bar to activate.”


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International Paper

Feedback about the errors in form data, is not accessible to JAWS.



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Sonoco and Ford

The question is not in any way connected to the responses in the code. While a visual user can see that they are next to each other, this isn’t clear for JAWS



24Progress bars provide no useful feedbackThey need to also provide information non-visually

about how the user is progressing


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Some general problems which relate to all users, not only users with disabilities…



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Harland Clarke

Site required user to select an end date, even though they had selected the job as their current job.



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Orlando Regional Health

The application process required a look-up of school attended, rather than allowing free text entry. However, there were 8 lookup choices with the same name


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Orlando Regional Health (part 2)

On the form, email and phone number were not indicated as required but when the user submitted the form, an error came up stating that email and phone number are required



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Even with textual labels of the steps in the application process, these textual labels are confusing:

Preferences?

Online questionnaire?

Languages?



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Unclear guidance on what format should be used to submit data in a form

This was actually requesting data be entered in a currency format, but there was no guidance, and the error message was unclear


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HSN

User was confused about the difference between “no selection” and “no”



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Suggestions for Priorities in Improving Accessibility in Online Job Application Web sites



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Forms properly labeled

Make sure that forms are properly labeled

Textual labels should be read before the entry field/button, not afterwards

Textual labels should actually represent the same label as presented on the screen

This combination, with no labels, is confusing


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Required fields and feedback

Make sure that it is clear which fields are required, and provide accessible feedback on incorrectly filled-out forms



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Option for more time

If you must have a session time limit, provide users the opportunity to request more time



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Label Links

Make sure that links are labeled properly Every job available at Beau Rivage had a link title of

“more info,” instead of the job title


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Progress info accessible

Make sure that information on progress through the process is available to JAWS

Progress indicators shouldn’t only be visual, based on color or shape

It’s important to provide textual information



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Proper coding of table headers/ table cell

Type 1:Tables that require data input – all form controls (drop-down lists, radio buttons, combo boxes, etc.) should be properly labeled.

Type 2:

Tables displaying data –here, table headers must be properly coded/labeled so that each row and cell could be read by Jaws.



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Logical tab order

Make sure that there is a logical tab order if you are listening to forms

When tab order is not logical, here’s what users hear


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Suggestions for success

If you are building software for online application processes, place accessibility in the design requirements and specify evaluation

If you are purchasing a software package for online applications, ask if it’s accessible, and ask for data on how they tested for accessibility

Evaluate your online application process by:

Usability testing involving people with disabilities

Expert inspections (but only with real experts)

Using automated software tools for feedback



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*Open Discussion &

Questions



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THANK YOU!


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*

Contact Information

Please Feel Free to Reach Out to UsDr. Jonathan LazarDept. of Computer and Information Sciences & Universal Usability Laboratory, Towson [email protected]

Jill HoughtonDeputy Director, Southeast TACEActing Executive Director, [email protected]

Pamela WilliamsonDirector, DBTAC: Southeast ADA [email protected]



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For more information

ADA National Network by DBTACWeb: adata.org1-800-949-4232 [voice/tty]

Section 508 web siteWeb: www.section508.gov

Web Content Accessibility GuidelinesWeb: www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php

Web AIM (Accessibility in Mind)Web: webaim.org



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Sponsors of Webinar Series

ADA National Network by DBTACWeb: adata.org

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)Web: aapd.com

Council of State Administrators ofVocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR)- National Employment Team (NET)Web: rehabnetwork.org

U.S. Business Leadership NetworkWeb: usbln.org


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Education Credits - DEADLINE: October 7

CEU (0.1) Approved by the University College at Syracuse UniversityTo earn CEU credit, you must:1. Participate in the 1.5 hour webinar.2. Login to your Webinar Account & complete: CEU Request.3. Follow CEU Credit Requirements

(http://sedbtac.org/webinars/requestCEU.php?eventid=533).

CRCC (1.5) Approved by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor

Certification (CRCC) To earn CRCC credit, you must:1. Participate in the 1.5 hour webinar.2. Login to your Account & score 80% or better on Post Test.3. Complete: CRCC Request and send a copy to the CRCC office.4. Follow CRCC Credit Requirements

(http://sedbtac.org/webinars/requestCRCC.php?eventid=533).



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DisclaimerThe DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center (Southeast DBTAC) is authorized by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide information, materials, and technical assistance to individuals and entities that are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and its Amendments (ADA) under Grant No. H133A060094. However, NIDRR is not responsible for enforcement of the ADA. For more information or assistance, contact your regional ADA Center via the ADA National Network byDBTAC at adata.org or call 1-800-949-4232 [voice/tty].

The information, materials, and/or technical assistance are intended solely as informal guidance, and are neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the Act, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA. The BurtonBlatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University does not warrant the accuracy of any information contained herein. Any links to non-BBI information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended tonor do they constitute an endorsement by the BBI of the linked materials.


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Documents

Online Employment Applications and Website Accessibility