Working in UX, you don't expect to see a 100% task failure rate. I certainly didn't.
While preparing for a usability study at Paycor, I reviewed the interface and noticed that required fields and validation messages relied almost entirely on the company's brand colors—orange and green.
A few weeks before testing, I raised a concern. Users with red/green color vision deficiencies might not recognize the status indicators because there were no secondary indicators such as icons, text, or other visual cues, as recommended by Section 508 and WCAG 2.0.
The design wasn't changed before testing. Then we ran the study.
Every participant failed the task. I suspected I knew why. After the task, I asked participants whether they had red/green color vision deficiency. Every participant reported having it.
The interface relied on color alone to communicate required fields and validation messages. Without secondary indicators, participants couldn't see the information they needed to complete the task.
It remains the only 100% task failure I've observed in my career. That study reinforced something I still think about today.
Accessibility isn't something to check after a product is built. When known accessibility risks are identified early, addressing them before testing can prevent avoidable usability failures and create a better experience for everyone—not just users with disabilities.
Open to contract UX research opportunities.
Email: theresaw@columbus.rr.com
LinkedIn: theresa-wilkinson