Evaluating the usability of an information portal from the perspective of its users

Background: The internet has been widely used for the dissemination of information. In this sense, the usability of virtual environments, characterized by ease of access and navigation, becomes essential, especially for vulnerable audiences such as people with disabilities. Objective: This study analyzed the usability of Portal D+Informação from the perspective of its users. Methods: This is a quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study. To collect data on the usability of the Portal, a virtual questionnaire was used with questions related to navigation, interface and language. Results: The main reason for accessing the Portal was searching for information (83.33%). Regarding usability, 96.70% reported ease of navigation, 80.00% rated the language as excellent, 73.33% declared the visuals excellent and 73.33% maintained the overall rating as excellent; 76.60% declared that the Portal brought something new and 100.00% of participants would recommend the Portal. Discussion: Previous studies point to the internet as the search mechanism for health information most chosen by people due to the ease of access and variety of references available for reading. A study on the analysis of accessibility, certification and access to a virtual Forum demonstrated that a virtual environment based on scientific evidence becomes a strong source of access to health information and exchange of experiences. Conclusions: This study corroborated to include the assessment of people with disabilities, family members and professionals in the development of assistive technologies. The evaluation of the portal was positive in relation to the requirements of ease navigation, providing new information and friendly interface.