37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

“Checking Out” the Accessibility of Online Food Ordering

Date & Time

Thursday, March 17, 2022 - 11:20 AM PST

Location

Platinum 7-8

Description

With a pivot in 2020 and 2021 to massive online ordering, the consumer landscape may never go back to what it looked like pre-pandemic. Of course, people with disabilities have been using and relying on electronic ordering in the food and retail spaces for years prior to COVID-19. Has the proliferation of new platforms been accessible, or could companies work more?

It has never been easier for food companies to reach their customers, and indeed this became a lifeline for so many during COVID-19 related quarantines and self-safety measures. Restaurant delivery has grown 20% in the last five years; while estimates differ, online food delivery sales could grow as high as $220 billion by 2023, which translates to 40% of total restaurant sales. In fact, online grocery, Deutsche Bank estimates that the $24 billion online grocery market will surge to $120 billion by 2025.

Specifically related to the time of the pandemic, we discovered the following facts about online food ordering and delivery, with data from food delivery company DoorDash :

140% growth in delivery orders on DoorDash year over year (Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020)
471% growth in pickup orders on DoorDash year over year (Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020)
43% of customers prefer to order delivery through a restaurant’s website
76% of customers order food based on the quality of the ordering method
74% of customers decide where to eat based on the ability to customize their food
69% of customers choose an ordering method based on how quickly it will arrive

Looking into these statistics, our presentation will focus on how each of these areas impact accessibility—how do platforms vary over individual restaurant websites? What has the most impact for accessibility? Can online order customizations be a boon or detriment to accessibility? How accessible are food and delivery trackers?

We will discuss how these platforms advertise online and via social media, as well as other mediums like podcasts, coupons, and gift certificates. The presentation will focus on consumers with disabilities and how their assistive technology interacts with the ordering and subscription experience for on-demand delivery.

Our presentation will focus primarily on food ordering, especially in the restaurant and grocery space. With information gleaned from a sampling of our clients, and best practices by large delivery giants like Lidl, GrubHub, Seamless, InstaCart, and more, we will share the strides they have made to make their website and mobile apps accessible. This will include facets, such as ordering, viewing, account management, and coupons. We hope this will be a useful case study that shows how evergreen an accessible online grocery shopping experience can truly be.

This Presentation Link is provided by the Presenter(s) and not hosted by the Center on Disabilities at CSUN. The Center on Disabilities has confirmed, as of March 14, 2022, content linked is relevant to the presentation, but has not been reviewed for accessibility nor will the Center on Disabilities attempt to remediate any accessibility issues in the linked content. Please contact the Presenter(s) with any accessibility concerns.

Audience

Information & Communications Technology
Disability Specific
Entertainment & Recreation
Finance & Banking
Research & Development

Audience Level

Beginning

Session Summary (Abstract)

With an uptick in online ordering of food, whether grocery or restaurant during the pandemic, has accessibility been factored in? Online ordering has long been an accommodation for people with disabilities, but has the growing usage included all its users?

Session Type