Making Registers of Scotland’s Digital Services More Accessible

The Challenge

Registers of Scotland (RoS) is committed to providing a public website www.ros.gov.uk/(this will open in a new window) which is effective and usable for everyone. Their recent work with User Vision to perform a detailed technical accessibility audit is part of their ongoing programme to remove barriers and create a more inclusive, user-friendly service. 

To go beyond these evaluations, RoS wished to better understand the real user experiences, especially for those people who use assistive technologies. RoS asked User Vision to research this through usability testing with a representative set of users. 

Our Approach

We recruited participants with varied disabilities across three disability user groups, including Visual (blind or low-vision users), Cognitive (neurodivergent users), and Physical (users with limited dexterity and mobility). These participants used their own assistive technologies, such as screen readers, magnifiers, and adaptive input devices that they would normally use to access websites.  

We conducted a series of 60-minute moderated individual usability testing sessions, primarily in-person, with one remote session to accommodate a participant’s mobility needs.  Each session started with an initial background interview, followed by participants performing a series of representative tasks like ordering property deeds, updating ownership details, and applying for development plans. They were asked to ‘think aloud’ during the tasks, which allowed us to better understand their thought processes and decision-making, as well as any confusion or frustration.

Members of the RoS digital team attended the sessions held at User Vision’s usability lab. Watching the disabled users engage with the site proved to be a valuable learning exercise, and identified a range of improvement areas, such as focus order, screen reader announcements, contrast ratios, and element identification. 

The Result

“The research has raised the team’s awareness of the challenges faced by disabled users and has helped to raise and maintain its prominence across all our RoS design work”

UX Lead at Registers of Scotland

RoS has significantly improved the inclusivity and accessibility of their digital services, empowering more people to complete their land and property related tasks independently and confidently. Resolving the issues raised in the research has enhanced the experience for disabled customers, particularly those who rely on assistive technologies.

This project, and RoS’ ongoing work, are helping to ensure that all users, regardless of ability, can access vital land and property services with ease.