Inequality in User Experience: Can Mobile User Interfaces that Help Sighted Users Create Barriers for Visually Challenged People?

Designing mobile interfaces for enhanced usability and user experience has become a standard practice in modern-day app development. However, this approach often prioritizes the needs of sighted users, leading to a compromised experience for people who are visually challenged or blind. This study reveals the user experience elements that make it easier for sighted users to accomplish a task while creating barriers for people who rely on screen readers. Using task-based usability tests of six globally popular mobile apps, the study compares the experiences of 12 sighted and 15 visually challenged (VC) users. The results reveal drastic differences in usability and experience between the two groups, highlighting the gaps and experience compromises despite being accessible by norms. The study highlights how designing interfaces for enhanced usability and user experience for sighted users compromises six prominent aspects of usability for people who are visually challenged or blind, leading to productivity challenges and poor user experiences, calling for a more inclusive and accessible approach to mobile app design. The study suggests investigating technological advancements, such as building screen reader capabilities to understand the designer’s intent or creating tools to support the designer in keeping screen reader limitations in mind while designing, to address such issues and provide an equal experience for VC users.