# Usability & Accessibility

## User Centered Design

User centered design (UCD) is a design philosophy and process that prioritizes the needs, preferences, and behaviors of end users throughout the design and development process.

VotingWorks implemented user centered design in the following ways: 

* **Focus on Users**: Worked to understand who the users are, including voters and election administrators.  This involved conducting user research including: researching election laws and practices in different states, piloting the system to gather user feedback, and conducting feedback sessions with different types of users. 
* **Iterative Design**: VotingWorks created several prototypes and tested these through pilot projects in Mississippi and New Hampshire. We also conducted targeted user testing to gather feedback and refine the software and hardware based on that feedback.  
* **Involvement of Users**: From the beginning, VotingWorks incorporated user feedback sessions, pilots, and targeted testing to make sure all changes met the needs of the end user.
* **Multidisciplinary Collaboration**: VotingWorks gathered feedback from not just election officials and voters, but also academics and other interested stakeholders. 
* **Usability Testing**: Finally, VotingWorks conducted formal usability and accessibility testing, as required by VVSG 2.0. 

## Federal Standards for Accessibility

VotingWorks components are all designed and tested to applicable federal standards for accessibility including the version of Section 508 Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Final Standards and Guidelines \[USAB18], in effect as of January 18, 2018, and the WCAG 2.0 Level AA checkpoints \[W3C10] included in that standard.

VotingWorks recommends that blind or low vision users of the central system components (VxAdmin, VxCentralScan) should utilize one of the following mobile applications (or equivalent) to navigate the central system applications and associated COTS hardware (central scanners, printers, laptops, etc.):

* Be My Eyes (iOS / Android)
* Seeing AI (iOS)
* Lookout (Android)

## Usability and Accessibility Testing Reports

### [VotingWorks Pollworker Testing Report VxSuite](https://github.com/votingworks/docs-vxsuite-v4/blob/main/uat-reports/vxsuite-v4-pollworker-testing-report.pdf)

### [VotingWorks UAT Report VxSuite](https://github.com/votingworks/docs-vxsuite-v4/blob/main/uat-reports/vxsuite-v4-pollworker-testing-report.pdf)

### [VotingWorks UAT Report VxScan with PAT & Audio Jacks](https://github.com/votingworks/docs-vxsuite-v4/blob/main/uat-reports/vxsuite-v4-uat-report-vxscan-with-jacks.pdf)

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