Background
Nystagmus Network is undertaking a full rebuild of its website to address long-standing accessibility and usability issues. As the charity’s digital accessibility specialist and UX designer, I have carried out user research to ensure the new design is based on evidence rather than assumptions.
The research focused on readability which is a critical issue for people with nystagmus, and especially important for this project given that a key aim of the site is to provide information and advice on living with the condition. While accessibility guidance exists for low vision, little is available for this condition specifically.
Method
A survey was distributed through the charity’s network and received 39 responses from people with nystagmus (26 congenital nystagmus, 13 acquired). The survey asked these participants to rate text samples in different colour/background combinations and fonts, and to share which accessibility tools or techniques they use.
Findings
1. Colour contrast
Participants were asked to look at 5 samples of text in different colours and on different coloured backgrounds (all of which passed WCAG 2.2 AA) and rate them from 1 (hard to read) to 5 (easy to read). The ratings were then aggregated to provide a single score for each option.
Preferences were sharply divided. Some participants definitely preferred light backgrounds, others strongly preferred dark. The scores were as follows for each sample:
- Light background, dark text: 137
- Dark background, light text: 130
- Dark blue background, light text: 119
- Dark background, yellow text: 93
- Dark background, teal text: 90
The comments revealed strong feelings on both sides. Some described dark backgrounds as reducing glare, migraines and eye strain, while others reported that anything other than white caused nausea and was very hard to read.
Implication: A light/dark mode switcher must be available from launch.
2. Fonts
The respondents were asked to look at 5 samples of text in different fonts and rate each one from 1 (hard to read) to 5 (easy to read). The typefaces chosen here were all generally recommended as having a high legibility. As previously, the ratings were aggregated to provide a single score for each option.
While differences were less polemic, familiar fonts scored by far the best:
- Arial: 143
- Verdana: 140
- Lexend: 128
- Lato: 120
- Atkinson Hyperlegible: 118
Some comments showed a strong preference for fonts that had wider letterforms, while none expressed that narrow forms improve readability. Therefore Verdana, already the charity’s brand font, is both familiar and effective.
Implication: Verdana will continue to be used as the site’s primary typeface.
3. Tools and techniques
The final section of the survey asked respondents to let us know which tools and techniques they use to make reading on the web easier.
Participants most often rely on built-in adaptations such as browser zoom and system text size. The below indicates the percentage of respondents that use each tool or technique frequently:
- Browser zoom: 85%
- System text size: 77%
- Screen magnifier software: 33%
- Text-to-speech: 33%
- Screen reader: 13%
- Windows high contrast mode: 13%
The comments for this section also revealed a potential lack of awareness of many of these options, which we will address in the Nystagmus Network information library as part of the website rebuild.
Implication: The website should both support these adjustments and provide guidance on available tools.
Conclusion
The research demonstrates that colour contrast and font choices are critical to readability for people with nystagmus — but also highly individual. To accommodate these differences, the new website will:
- Include a light/dark mode switcher from the first release
- Use Verdana consistently for body text
- Replace PDFs with accessible web content
- Provide clearer navigation, tailored to different audiences
- Offer information on tools and techniques to support web accessibility with nystagmus
These changes will ensure the Nystagmus Network website better reflects the needs of its community and offers a significantly more inclusive experience.