Interdependent Components for the Development of Accessible XUL Applications for Screen Reader Users

Web applications based on XUL technology have reached great development. This technology enables developers to easily create extensions and add-ons of Mozilla Firefox browser. It is essential to keep in mind accessibility in the development of such applications in order to not discriminate user groups. In this sense, standards and good practices have to be considered. Furthermore, User-Centred Design and Inclusive Design approaches should be followed as they involve users with disabilities in the development process. This paper presents an analysis of XUL accessibility guidelines created by Mozilla Foundation. An accessible XUL application has been designed and developed based on the guidelines. User testing has been conducted by two blind users revealing several important accessibility barriers. In addition, an expert review process was carried on by a blind accessibility consultant. They all used JAWS screen reader. The results obtained show that the existing guidelines conformance is not enough for ensuring accessibility of the application. There are other factors dependent on assistive technologies and user agent that have to be considered in the development of accessible XUL applications.