Adaptable User Interfaces for People with Autism: A Transportation Example
Claudia De Los Rios Perez · 2018 · Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A) · doi:10.1145/3192714.3196318
Summary
This demonstration paper presents early-stage research into developing an accessibility framework for adaptable user interfaces tailored to people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), using public transportation as the application domain. The author argues that while computer technologies are widely recognized as beneficial for socialization and social inclusion of autistic individuals, most websites and mobile applications — including transportation tools like Google Maps and Apple Maps — are designed for neurotypical users and lack appropriate accessibility features. The framework combines three pillars: Web Accessibility standards (WAI/W3C guidelines), semantic web technologies (HTML5, CSS, ontologies, and RDFa), and evidence-based best practices from the research literature on UI design for autistic users. The transportation domain was chosen because independent travel is fundamental to social participation, employment, and community inclusion, yet presents particular challenges for people with ASD due to communication limitations, difficulty with unexpected disruptions, complex social rules, and reliance on caregivers. The paper draws on prior work showing that people with ASD perform poorly with modal dialogs and complex interfaces, and that UI elements like layout, background, colors, and contrast all need adaptation to be autism-friendly.
Key findings
The paper proposes an adaptable UI framework that leverages an autism phenotype ontology to match behavioral and cognitive characteristics with appropriate design principles. Building on prior research, the framework recognizes that easy UI operations for autistic users are keystroke, drag, initial act, and tapping — suggesting that touch-based and simple interaction patterns should be prioritized. The evaluation methodology involves two phases: first, focus groups comparing autistic and non-autistic participants using eye tracking (fixation rates, saccade patterns) to evaluate the adapted UI against existing transportation tools; second, a personalization phase where users can adjust UI elements such as font type, size, spacing, color, and map details to match their preferences, acknowledging that restrictive interests are a shared trait in ASD. At the time of publication, the adapted UI prototype had been built and participant recruitment was underway. The cross-platform requirement (browsers, computers, tablets, phones) ensures the framework addresses real-world usage scenarios.
Relevance
This research highlights a significant gap in digital accessibility: the needs of autistic users in everyday applications like transportation planning. While WCAG provides a foundation, it does not specifically address the full range of cognitive and sensory needs of people on the autism spectrum. The ontology-based approach to matching user characteristics with design adaptations is a promising direction for personalized accessibility, moving beyond one-size-fits-all solutions. For practitioners, the key takeaway is that autism-friendly design requires adaptable — not just accessible — interfaces, with customizable visual elements, simplified interactions, and reduced complexity. The transportation focus also underscores how inaccessible digital tools can compound physical-world barriers to independence. Though this is early-stage work without completed evaluation results, it lays important groundwork for applying semantic web technologies to cognitive accessibility challenges.
Tags: autism · adaptive user interface · transportation accessibility · ontology · semantic web · user interface design · cognitive accessibility · personalization · eye tracking · map accessibility · web accessibility · responsive design
Standards referenced: WCAG · HTML5 · CSS · RDFa