I was particularly eager to try the NoCoffee extension for two main reasons. First, I teach a course that covers visual disabilities, and this simulation provides an excellent way to demonstrate real-world examples to educational assistants. Second, I have recently started experiencing floaters in my vision, and the simulation helps convey to my family the challenges I face, giving them a clearer understanding of my visual difficulties.

For my test, I used the simulation on the website realtor.ca, which features house listings. On this site, users need to navigate through listings and read property overviews. Unfortunately, there are no accessibility features such as screen readers or text-to-speech options available. As a result, the site becomes largely inaccessible for users experiencing visual impairments such as macular degeneration, low acuity, ghosting, cataracts, or diabetic retinopathy, as the primary mode of interaction relies heavily on visual input.

However, for other visual impairments simulated by NoCoffee, users were able to move the viewing plane to access the information, allowing for some level of interaction despite the visual challenges.

https://www.realtor.ca/