There are also other minor things that can make card sorting effective and efficient. For instance, having a few sighted participants can help the participants with visual limitations. However, sighted participants should be at most 1 or 2 because it might pollute the data/insight gained from the session.
In many studies [1, 2], this evaluation was done among sighted participants or sighted people who tried to mimic blindness or visual impairment. Robles (2019) showed that these results were often valueless since they did not consider the people who were actually impaired.
This was because there was a significant difference in memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving between sighted people and people with visual impairment. Also, they demonstrated [3] that using braille cards gives positive results. The menu generated was similar to the original TalkBack menu.
The above-discussed steps will drastically improve the card-sorting experience for a participant with a visual impairment. However, the objective should be slightly different when it comes to card sorting with people with visual impairments and designing for them.
When designing for users with visual impairments who primarily use screen readers, the information architecture may not be the primary focus of a card sorting exercise. However, card sorting can still be useful for gaining insights into how users with visual disabilities mentally organize and prioritize information.
Card sorting can be a useful method for designing the information architecture of a website or digital product. However, for users who have visual disabilities, and primarily use screen readers, the focus should be on the presentation and organization of content. Screen readers often present content linearly, regardless of its categorization or hierarchy.
Lastly, accessible electronic tools for card sorting, which follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and have some important accessibility features, can be more time and cost-efficient and effective. If the tool offers accessibility features like audio descriptions of the cards, auditory feedback, and keyboard shortcuts, it can be an excellent tool for doing card sorting remotely.
