Many people with visual and other disabilities use screen readers to access online content. WebAIM, an organization dedicated to promoting web accessibility, regularly surveys screen reader users to explore how they experience the web. The results of WebAIM’s 2021 screen reader user survey reveal interesting usage trends and indicate ways to improve web accessibility.
PDF vs. Word
The survey shows that screen reader users find Microsoft Word documents to be the most accessible. Sixty percent of respondents said Word is their preferred document format, with only about 17% preferring PDF. This is important to consider as we discuss best practices for online documents. While in the past we recommended PDF as the preferred format for documents on the NIU website, we now provide guidelines that are more accepting of Word documents (see Web Standard 5.8 Files).
Helpful Headings
While accurate headings are helpful to everyone, the survey results show how vital they are to screen reader users. When asked how they would try to find information on a lengthy web page, 67.7% indicated they would navigate through the headings. Just 8.1% indicated they would read through the page to find the information. By using concise, accurate headings, we make navigating the NIU website a more comfortable experience for our users.
