Summary
Online shopping was first premiered in the 1980s, as a way for people who couldn’t shop in-person to easily make purchases. But how far we’ve come! In this talk, Fable’s Accessibility Evangelist Sam Proulx will walk you through some of the key factors to create an online shopping experience that is accessible to everyone. From his perspective as a full time screen reader user, and drawing on Fable’s thousands of hours working with people with disabilities, Sam will highlight how consistency, convenience, confidence, and customizability enable a smooth experience for all users, disabled or not. Let’s bring online shopping back to its accessibility roots!
Key Insights
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Consistency in accessibility design helps users with disabilities learn workarounds once and apply them repeatedly, fostering brand loyalty even at higher prices.
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Browser autofill functionality is a crucial accessibility feature that assists people with physical and cognitive challenges in completing online checkouts.
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Poorly designed session timeouts can cause users with disabilities to abandon purchases if information isn't saved and they must restart the process.
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Confidence is essential in retail accessibility because financial transactions demand trust more than typical web interactions.
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Customizability, like offering multiple payment methods and interaction modes, significantly improves accessibility and user satisfaction.
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Accessibility improvements designed for users with disabilities often improve the overall experience for all users.
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Real insights into accessibility can only be gained by involving people with disabilities directly in usability testing and research.
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Many accessible retailers, like Apple and Microsoft, extend accessibility beyond online to in-person retail support and training.
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Staff training on accessibility in physical venues is often overlooked and should be frequent, bite-sized, and well known among employees.
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People with disabilities may pay premiums for consistent accessible experiences rather than switching brands and relearning flows.
Notable Quotes
"When you use assistive technology, consistency isn’t just nice—it’s the difference between being able to buy and having to give up."
"If autofill can tell what data to put in a field, so can a screen reader; proper labeling is key."
"Password complexity makes autofill not just a convenience, but a necessity for many users."
"No one wants to experiment with their real money on an inaccessible checkout."
"If the purchase process feels inaccessible or confusing, people assume the product will be inaccessible too."
"Offering multiple payment options is both an accessibility feature and a way to build confidence and consistency."
"More customizable experiences are better for everyone, but for people with disabilities, they can be the difference between buying or giving up."
"Accessibility is not a project you do once every five years; it’s a journey requiring ongoing iteration."
"Frequency and memorability in staff training is critical for accessible in-person service."
"You want your users with disabilities to learn the workaround once and use it again and again."
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