NASA
Client Work
UX Researcher
Group Work
Overview
Partnered with NASA’s Eclipse Soundscapes initiative to ensure equitable access to their citizen science platform, enabling individuals with low vision to analyze audio data from the 2024 solar eclipse and study its impact on wildlife.Through manual audits, we identified over 15 accessibility issues and presented actionable recommendations to NASA.
NASA Figma Link
Full Accessibility Audit
This experience reinforced how constraints can foster creativity—limited control over the UI pushed me to find innovative solutions beyond the platform. Even without direct decision-making power, transparently communicating accessibility gaps to stakeholders led to meaningful improvements.
Research Plan
Challenge
Zooniverse’s existing platform required heavy reliance on sight for data analysis tasks, excluding low-vision users. Critical interactions lacked keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and adaptable contrast ratios.
Problem Statement
How might we empower low-vision users to contribute meaningfully to NASA’s wildlife research through Zooniverse’s data analysis platform?
Goal
Audit Zooniverse’s platform against WCAG POUR principles and redesign core interactions to prioritize accessibility without compromising scientific rigor.
Research Focus
What accessibility barriers exist in Zooniverse for low-vision users?
How do competitor platforms address WCAG compliance?
What tools and adaptations do low-vision users require to analyze audio data effectively?
Methodology
Evaluated Zooniverse’s interface against 15+ success criteria (e.g., perceivable audio alternatives, operable keyboard flows). Conducted semi-structured tests with low-vision participants, focusing on task completion. Compared accessibility features of similar citizen-science platforms to inform recommendations.
Out of scope
Mobile app solutions, non-accessibility-related UI changes.
Analysis
Automated Audit Findings
We conducted automated audits of five core Zooniverse pages—Home, About, Classify, Talk, and Collections—using Siteimprove and WAVE tools. These revealed significant accessibility barriers, such as screen reader issues (e.g., missing ARIA labels) and readability problems (e.g., low color contrast). We prioritized fixes for high-impact barriers that hindered equitable participation, while noting low-severity issues like redundant alt-text.
Manual Assesment
To complement automated results, we manually evaluated keyboard navigation and visual clarity. Critical gaps included:
Poor contrast ratios (below WCAG 4.5:1 standards) for text and buttons.
Undiscoverable search functionality due to inconsistent tab order.
Ambiguous link differentiation (e.g., reliance on color alone).
These findings, alongside inaccessible button labels and missing alt-text for data visualizations, underscored the need for platform-level updates and user education to mitigate constraints.
Suggested Improvements
Given the constraints of the Zooniverse platform, which limited direct UI customization, our recommendations focused on content adjustments, supplementary resources, and advocacy for platform-level changes to enhance accessibility for Eclipse Soundscapes users.
Data Analyst Page
To enhance readability and usability on the Data Analyst page, recommendations included replacing gradient backgrounds with solid colors for better contrast, simplifying content by shortening titles and restructuring text into scannable sections, and providing support resources like downloadable guides and audio summaries for screen reader users.
About Product Page
To balance detail with accessibility, integrate images of eclipse soundscapes or wildlife with descriptive alt-text, such as “Spectrogram of crickets chirping during totality,” to break up text and provide context. Additionally, implement a consistent heading structure with H1 for sections and H2 for subsections, and simplify scientific jargon, using terms like “animal behavior” instead of “bioacoustic phenomena.”
Classify Page
To reduce ambiguity in data analysis tasks, develop a video tutorial with closed captions, audio descriptions, and a sample question, such as “Is there a birdcall in this clip?” to set clear expectations. Additionally, propose that Zooniverse add keyboard-navigable tooltips and ARIA labels for interactive elements, such as audio playback buttons, to support screen reader users.
Talk Page
To foster community engagement, activate “General Discussion” and “Feedback” boards with descriptive titles, such as “Ask Scientists,” and seed them with starter posts from NASA moderators, like “What patterns are you noticing?” Additionally, use headings to categorize topics, such as “Troubleshooting” vs. “Data Insights,” and ensure links are underlined for users with color vision deficiencies.
Cross-Platform Recommendations
For Zooniverse, add alt-text prompts during project setup to ensure all images are described. Additionally, introduce a high-contrast mode toggle to support users with low vision.
Lesson Learned
A key challenge during the audit was identifying accessibility issues with automated testing tools, which often miss barriers related to user experience. This emphasized the need to combine automated and manual assessments for a full understanding. Another challenge was interpreting the findings and prioritizing improvements, especially given Zooniverse's limitations. This experience prepared us for real-world constraints where ideal fixes aren't always feasible due to time, budget, or development limitations.