Blind and sighted users experience of responsive web design

Access to information on the Web is still a challenge for the community of people with some kind of visual impairment. Research reports that just applying accessibility guidelines to web content is insufficient. With the emergence of new design trends on the web, including responsive design and flat design, it is imperative to investigate the impact of these new ways of transmitting information on the web. A case study was therefore carried out, adopting an exploratory approach, using the Affect Grid and PANAS methods. Data was extracted using Usability and UX questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative indicators were used in the analyses to help understand pragmatic UX phenomena. The results show that, for blind users, the average disruption on responsive websites increases by 20 per cent when compared to non-responsive websites. For sighted users, the average scores for irritation, embarrassment, determination and dynamism are higher on responsive websites than on non-responsive ones.