| The purpose of this quantitative study was to evaluate the accessibility of web sites of regionally accredited colleges and universities as measured by the satisfaction of individuals who are visually impaired and want to obtain information from those Web sites. Although laws exist requiring the electronic and information technology of colleges and universities to be accessible to people who are disabled, not all university web sites are in compliance. By making information about colleges and universities more accessible to people who are blind, institutions can increase educational opportunities and improve employment opportunities for these individuals, advancing the policy goal of empowering people with disabilities and providing equal opportunity. Guided by Wang's conceptual framework of user satisfaction, 30 participants with visual disabilities were asked to perform a series of tasks on a representative sample of web sites of 4-year colleges and universities in a western U.S. state. Their satisfaction level was then assessed using a Likert-type scale. Survey results were analyzed through a series of binary logistic regressions that tested for significant associations across demographics, satisfaction with websites, and the pass/fail results of those websites using a software program that assesses usability. Proportion confidence intervals for satisfaction were used to document that a majority of the participants were satisfied with the ease of use of the web sites. Moreover, two-proportion Z tests were used to document significantly higher perceived ease of use for those sites that passed the automated usability assessment. This study may contribute to positive social change by encouraging colleges and universities to improve their web site accessibility to those with visual impairments. |
