Making Electronic Voting Accessible for St John
The Client
St John (Hato Hone) is a well-known organisation in New Zealand that provides important emergency response, health services and products to our communities. With around 11,000 members, St John plays a key role in public health and safety. Every three years, they hold Area Committee elections where all members can vote for their preferred representatives.
Their Challenge
St John wanted to make sure their electronic voting system was easy to use for everyone, including members with different access needs. They recognised that it’s important for all members to be able to vote confidently and without any barriers, no matter what support they might need.
Our Process
St John partnered with Access Advisors to help them identify the access issues, make recommendations and prioritise the work. Here’s how we approached the project:
- Review the System: We started with a detailed review of the electronic voting system to see how well it met web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.2). This included testing with screen readers, using the system without a mouse, and checking manually for issues based on our many years of experience.
- Usability Testing: Next, ten participants with various access needs tested the electronic voting system. Our experienced researcher conducted one-on-one, task-based interviews, letting users work with the system using their own assistive technologies and adaptive settings and strategies.
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Recommendations: Once we had gathered the feedback from the participants, we could identify what worked well and what needed improvement. From this we developed and prioritised 37 clear recommendations to improve accessibility. We presented these to St John, explaining why each one mattered.
Outcomes & Impact
Our recommendations helped St John to produce significant results.
Improved Accessibility
St John was able to make substantial improvements to their electronic voting system based on our recommendations. Out of the 37 suggestions, the system provider implemented 34 in time for the 2023 elections.
Broader Participation
The electronic election process had improved accessibility, allowing all members to actively participate and make their voices heard. This reinforced St John's commitment to inclusivity.
Confidence for Future Elections
St John now feels more assured that their future Governance elections will continue to be accessible. This project set the groundwork for ongoing improvements within their organisation.
Next Steps
St John is keen to continuing working with Access Advisors. The next step is involving us from the beginning when they redevelop their external website, weaving accessibility into the process.
This continuation of accessibility work highlights their commitment to maintaining an inclusive digital presence. Together, we hope to inspire other organisations to prioritise accessibility in their technology.
In summary, our collaboration with St John demonstrates how important accessibility is in creating an inclusive environment for all members. We look forward to achieving even more together in the future!
If you’d like help to improve the accessibility of your existing platforms or support as you redevelop your digital systems, contact us. We are always happy to help.