An investigation into the online experiences of blind and visually impaired individuals was undertaken in order to understand accessibility issues associated with website design. An analysis of accessibility problems experienced by blind and visually impaired students with selected websites was conducted at UKZN.  These findings were compared to an independent professional study conducted by Craven and Brophy (2003) and documented in the NoVA (Non-Visual Access to the Digital Library) Report.  The researcher’s sample was made up of seven visually impaired individuals and three blind individuals. The NoVA report was made up of twenty visually impaired people who undertook four information seeking tasks very similar to the researcher’s tasks.

 The research was conducted by means of usability testing, observation and an interview. The researcher’s tasks required the participants to visit four different types of web sites that they would use to perform everyday activities. These included a shopping web site, an online ticketing web site, an academic web site and a search engine. The NoVA report tasks included the use of a search engine, a library online catalogue, an online directory of Internet resources and a commercial online shopping site. The usability results were based on efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction.

Some of the accessibility problems reported were as follows: poor website design, information overload, poor contrasting colours for text and background. The prevalence of these problems reinforces the need to follow accessibility standards when designing websites to improve online experiences of blind and visually impaired individuals.