Three test subjects with different disabilities were selected within the Group with the aim of analyzing the current accessibility of the store and being able to observe it directly in use. The usability test was carried out on site to find out how such tests with people with disabilities work in the future, which technical details need to be taken into account and which requirements must be met for successful implementation. It was particularly informative to find out which aids the test subjects use, such as screen readers, blind keyboards or color recognition devices. In the long term, test studios, associations such as the Bavarian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (BBSB) or agencies are to be involved in order to carry out such tests on a larger scale.

The test subjects had varying degrees of impairment, which in turn led to different findings. The person who was completely blind worked with a screen reader and mainly stumbled over the lack of feedback, which impaired their orientation in the store, while the person who could not perceive three-dimensionality mainly had difficulty fixing their gaze when reading and scrolling. The third test subject had a visual acuity of 60% and benefited above all from options such as dark mode and strong contrasts.

The test run showed that the baur.de store already contains many helpful features: The navigation and the gray boxes as an orientation aid were positively highlighted. They help people with disabilities to keep an overview of the store and find their way around. However, it also became clear that there is still work to be done: screen readers do not yet capture some content correctly or at all, feedback remains unreported and deprives blind users of the chance to orient themselves correctly, and sliders and filters do not always work as desired or cannot be captured correctly by the screen reader.
Drop-down fields and other interactive elements also need to be further improved so that they can be used properly.

Although this test with only three people does not claim to be universally valid, it was an important first step in finding out where we stand and which barriers still need to be broken down. At the same time, the feedback shows that the work of the last two years is bearing fruit: We are on the right path to making online shopping accessible to all people - regardless of their limitations.

The "BFSG Usability Test" has provided many valuable impulses that make us curious about further tests. With a clear goal in mind: to make our online stores as accessible as possible, always taking the perspective of those for whom these adaptations are most important.