--- title: "Buying a Gym Membership as a Blind Person: A Mobile Accessibility Test" description: Discover the challenges faced by blind users when purchasing a gym membership online and learn why comprehensive accessibility testing is critical. image: https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/%5BSBM%5D%20Blog%20Images%202023/UsableNet-Blog-Pop-up-Accessibility.jpeg --- - [skip to menu](https://blog.usablenet.com/buying-a-gym-membership-as-a-blind-person-a-mobile-accessibility-test#nav) - [skip to content](https://blog.usablenet.com/buying-a-gym-membership-as-a-blind-person-a-mobile-accessibility-test#main-content) - [skip to footer](https://blog.usablenet.com/buying-a-gym-membership-as-a-blind-person-a-mobile-accessibility-test#footer) Test the accessibility of your website for free! Try UsableNet AQA. 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For some, this includes increasing physical activity by purchasing a gym membership. As a blind person who relies on assistive technology to navigate the web, I set out to sign up for a gym membership using a tablet and a touch-based screen reader. In today's blog, I will walk through using a tablet to sign up for a gym membership on a popular fitness center's website. This story continues my recent focus on mobile accessibility, specifically touch-based screen readers. As I go through the steps, I will highlight both accessibility barriers and positive features I encounter. I'll demonstrate how accessibility decisions on mobile websites impact real-world usability. Many of the issues I encounter here could have been caught with automated accessibility testing, but only usability testing by real people with disabilities would have identified all of them. Companies focused on compliance with EN 301 549 or conformance with WCAG must include manual and user testing in their accessibility strategy. ### **Broken Buttons and Missing Links** Upon arriving on the gym's homepage, I looked for a direct link to the membership signup section. I first set my screen reader to jump by links only and began exploring using one-finger swipes left and right. To my surprise, I found no clear link leading to membership signup. Next, I tried filtering by buttons, but again, there was no mention of a membership purchase option. However, I encountered multiple unlabeled buttons, a significant accessibility issue. I knew the membership options had to be somewhere, so I switched to manual swipe navigation. Near the top of the screen, I found the text "Become A Member Today." However, it was just plain text—tapping it did nothing. As I continued navigating, the next element my screen reader detected was an unlabeled button announced as "Button." There were no additional cues indicating that this button was for membership signup. On a hunch, I returned to the "Become A Member Today" text, swiped once more to the unlabeled button, and activated it. This button finally took me to a membership signup page. This experience is a significant accessibility issue. The button text and the clickable button were coded as separate elements, making it impossible for screen reader users to identify the correct action. This coding also explains why filtering by buttons earlier did not help. For accessible website design, buttons must be clearly labeled, and clickable elements should be programmatically associated with their descriptive text. Automated accessibility testing can sometimes catch these issues, and a manual accessibility audit would ensure a fully functional experience. [Learn more about balancing automated and manual testing here.](https://blog.usablenet.com/how-to-achieve-eaa-compliance-balancing-automated-and-manual-testing) ### **Table Troubles: Missing Membership Details** I explored using manual swipe navigation on the membership details page to understand the layout. Most of the page was text descriptions about the gym's amenities, perks, and benefits. Fortunately, this section was readable, and I did not encounter significant accessibility issues. I also noticed that the included images had alt descriptions, though they were not very detailed. For example, one image was described as "A Woman With Exercise Equipment"—helpful but lacking context. Toward the bottom of the page, I found the text: "The following table shows the fee breakdown, billing frequency, and cancellation policy of our membership." However, the next element my screen reader detected was an unlabeled image, announced as "Graphic." There was no table—at least, not one that was readable by assistive technology. This critical membership pricing information appeared to be included as an image-based table or PDF, making it inaccessible to screen reader users. This issue would have been identified immediately during usability testing with people who rely on assistive technology. Companies looking to comply with EN 301 549 or WCAG should prioritize manual and user testing to ensure all website elements, including pricing information, are fully accessible. [Learn more about why manual testing is important.](https://blog.usablenet.com/quick-guide-to-manual-accessibility-testing-and-why-its-important) ### **Profile Problems: No Input Confirmation** At the bottom of the membership details page, I found a button labeled "Join Now." Activating it took me to a form where I could create my profile by entering: - Contact details - Billing information - Mailing address Most fields were standard text inputs, but I immediately noticed a major issue—when I entered text using the virtual keyboard, the screen reader did not confirm the data I had just input. Even worse, if I navigated away and returned to a filled field, the screen reader still did not announce the previously entered text. This lack of announcement meant I could not verify if I entered my information correctly before submitting the form. Typos or errors could go unnoticed, making this a frustrating experience. Besides this issue, the rest of the form interface worked reasonably well, and the "Finish And Pay" button at the bottom was accessible. However, the lack of text confirmation was a significant usability flaw. Here, automated accessibility testing might flag a potential issue, and real-world usability testing would confirm its impact on screen reader users. [See how companies can incorporate accessibility testing into their process.](https://info.usablenet.com/accessibility-testing) ### **Why Comprehensive Accessibility Testing Matters** Any gym looking to capitalize on the New Year fitness boom must take digital accessibility seriously. A poorly designed mobile experience can frustrate potential customers and even prevent them from purchasing a membership. This blog highlights a familiar pattern—many websites may technically meet some accessibility standards but still present usability barriers that make real-world navigation difficult. Simply relying on automated testing tools is not enough for companies focused on conformance with WCAG 2.1 AA to reduce accessibility lawsuits or compliance with EN 301 549 for compliance with the European Accessibility Act. Manual accessibility and usability testing with people with disabilities are essential for identifying real-world barriers. By ensuring accessible mobile experiences, businesses can serve every customer, improve usability, and reduce compliance risk. For organizations ready to take the next step, incorporating a structured accessibility testing process is key. [![accessibility testing](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3280432/9cc92dfa-1721-4207-be28-f1bbb21fa4cf.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3280432/9cc92dfa-1721-4207-be28-f1bbb21fa4cf) Editor's Note: Our frequent contributor, Michael Taylor, wrote this post. This post reflects his opinions and experiences. [Read more about Michael and some other posts on his experience online here.](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) ![Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Michael%20Taylor-4.jpg) ### [Michael Taylor](https://blog.usablenet.com/author/michael-taylor) I am a regular contributor to the UsableNet blog on digital accessibility. I develop, write, and edit content for the company blog related to my experiences with digital accessibility. I explore various areas of the digital world and combine my unique perspective as a screen reader user with my fun and creative writing style to deliver an informative and engaging final product. My goal is to advance the company's marketing initiatives while also raising awareness about digital accessibility and how it affects the lives of real-world assistive technology users. My work covers everything from common accessibility challenges to robust and accessible design to tutorial-like content for specific web elements. - - - - ### Related posts ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ![Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Real%20Estate%20Website%20Accessibility%20-%20Property%20Listing%20Pages%20and%20Screen%20Readers%201200%20x%20630.png) [Real Estate Website Accessibility: Property Listing Pages and Screen Readers](https://blog.usablenet.com/real-estate-website-accessibility-property-listing-pages-and-screen-readers) Jul 7, 2026 ### Sign Up for the UsableNet Blog ### Recent Posts ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Check-in, Messaging, and In-Stay Barriers for Blind Guests](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-check-in-and-in-stay-barriers-for-blind-guests) Jul 15, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Beachside-min.jpg) [Hotel Website Accessibility: Browsing Room Options](https://blog.usablenet.com/hotel-website-accessibility-browsing-room-options) Jul 14, 2026 ![feature image](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Registration%20-%20Midyear%20Report.png) [Inside the 2026 Midyear Numbers: The ADA continues to be the ONLY true enforcement around](https://blog.usablenet.com/inside-the-2026-midyear-numbers-where-digital-accessibility-litigation-is-going) Jul 8, 2026 ### Posts by Topic - [Web Accessibility (311)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/web-accessibility) - [User Experience (113)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/user-experience) - [ADA Lawsuits (45)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-lawsuits) - [ADA Website Compliance (38)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/ada-website-compliance) - [European Accessibility Act (34)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/european-accessibility-act) - [Mobile Web (30)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-web) - [Mobile Apps (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/mobile-apps) - [Retail (27)](https://blog.usablenet.com/topic/retail) ![](https://blog.usablenet.com/hubfs/Consultation%20Icon.svg) Need to improve digital usability, accessibility or performance? 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