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• The Effects of "Not Knowing What You Don't Know" on Web Accessibility for Blind Web Users

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Irene Lin, Saiph Savage · 2017 · Proceedings of the 19th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '17)

  This paper introduces and empirically investigates the concept of "Not Knowing What You Don't Know" (NKWYDK) in the context of blind web users. When a blind person encounters difficulty finding information on a web page, they face a fundamental uncertainty that sighted users…

  web accessibility · screen readers · blindness · usability · information foraging

• An Analysis of Age, Technology Usage, and Cognitive Characteristics Within Information Retrieval Tasks

  Michael Crabb, Vicki L. Hanson · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper challenges the common practice of using chronological age as the primary metric for distinguishing user performance in HCI studies, arguing that Internet confidence and cognitive factors — particularly perceptual speed — are far better predictors of browsing…

  aging · cognitive accessibility · web search · information retrieval · fluid intelligence

• How People with Low Vision Access Computing Devices: Understanding Challenges and Opportunities

  Sarit Felicia Anais Szpiro, Shafeka Hashash, Yuhang Zhao, Shiri Azenkot · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents a contextual inquiry study examining how 11 people with low vision use mainstream computing devices (smartphones, tablets, and computers) to perform common tasks like reading email and browsing news. Low vision affects at least 3.3 million Americans over 40,…

  low vision · screen magnification · visual impairment · mobile accessibility · usability

• Should I Trust It When I Cannot See It? Credibility Assessment for Blind Web Users

  Ali Abdolrahmani, Ravi Kuber · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper examines how blind screen reader users assess the credibility of web content compared to sighted users, revealing fundamental differences in credibility assessment strategies between the two groups. Web credibility — the believability of information and its source —…

  blindness · screen reader · web accessibility · web design · usability

• Towards a unified definition of web accessibility

  Helen Petrie, Andreas Savva, Christopher Power · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper conducts a systematic conceptual analysis of 50 definitions of web accessibility drawn from books, academic papers, standards documents, guidelines, and online sources spanning 1996 to 2014, authored by researchers and practitioners from 21 countries across all…

  web accessibility · accessibility definitions · usability · assistive technology · older users

• Investigating Information Search by People with Cognitive Disabilities

  Ruimin Hu, Jinjuan Heidi Feng · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This empirical study investigated how people with cognitive disabilities navigate websites with different content structures and use search engines to find information. Twenty-three participants with various cognitive disabilities (primarily Down syndrome, but also cerebral…

  cognitive disabilities · information search · web navigation · website structure · search engines

• Are Users the Gold Standard for Accessibility Evaluation?

  Amaia Aizpurua, Myriam Arrue, Simon Harper, Markel Vigo · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper critically examines whether user testing with blind users is a reliable "gold standard" for web accessibility evaluation. Drawing on an exploratory study with 11 legally blind participants (10 JAWS users, 1 VoiceOver user, ages 21-64) who navigated four restaurant…

  user testing · accessibility evaluation · blind users · screen readers · research methodology

• Predictive, Accessible Web Automation: A Longitudinal Study

  Yury Puzis, Yevgen Borodin, I.V. Ramakrishnan · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a six-week longitudinal pilot study of Automation Assistant, a predictive web automation system designed to improve non-visual web browsing for blind users. The core problem is that screen readers force users to navigate web pages sequentially — a…

  screen readers · web automation · blindness · non-visual web access · adaptive interfaces

• Usability Issues with 3D User Interfaces for Adolescents with High Functioning Autism

  Chao Mei, Lee Mason, John Quarles · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper investigates how adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perform basic 3D user interface tasks compared to typically developed (TD) peers. While VR and 3D interfaces are increasingly used in ASD therapy (e.g., driving simulation, social skills…

  autism spectrum disorder · virtual reality · 3D user interfaces · spatial cognition · hand-eye coordination

• Age, Technology Usage, and Cognitive Characteristics in Relation to Perceived Disorientation and Reported Website Ease of Use

  Michael Crabb, Vicki L. Hanson · 2014 · ASSETS '14: Proceedings of the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper challenges the common practice in HCI research of using chronological age as the primary metric for understanding differences in web browsing experience between older and younger adults. Twenty participants (12 older adults aged 63-90, M=73.66; and 8 younger adults…

  older adults · aging · cognitive accessibility · web accessibility · fluid intelligence

• The False Dichotomy between Accessibility and Usability

  Ed H. Chi · 2013 · Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This keynote paper by Ed H. Chi of Google argues that the traditional separation between accessibility research and usability/HCI research is a false dichotomy built on two myths. The first myth is the "average user" — HCI research inherited this concept from psychology,…

  usability · accessibility theory · universal design · inclusive design · human-computer interaction

• Brain-Training Software for Stroke Survivors

  Lourdes Morales Villaverde, Sean-Ryan Smith, Sri Kurniawan · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This poster paper investigates the feasibility of using commercially available web-based brain-training software as an affordable alternative to expensive specialized stroke rehabilitation software. The researchers observed and interviewed six stroke survivors at the Cabrillo…

  stroke · cognitive rehabilitation · brain training · cognitive impairment · usability

• Bypassing Lists: Accelerating Screen-Reader Fact-Finding with Guided Tours

  Tao Yang, Prathik Gadde, Robert Morse, Davide Bolchini · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates whether guided tours — a navigation pattern that linearly links content pages with next/previous controls — can help screen-reader users perform fact-finding tasks more efficiently than traditional index-based navigation, particularly when the index lacks…

  screen reader · web navigation · blindness · visual impairment · information scent

• Usability, Demography, and Directions for W4A

  Alan F. Newell · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This provocative keynote paper from Alan Newell at the University of Dundee challenges the web accessibility community to broaden its focus beyond technical compliance for people with sensory and motor disabilities to address the much larger population of digitally excluded…

  aging · digital divide · usability · web accessibility · digital inclusion

• Understanding Web Accessibility and Its Drivers

  Yeliz Yesilada, Giorgio Brajnik, Markel Vigo, Simon Harper · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This highly cited study surveyed over 300 people with an interest in web accessibility to investigate how the community defines accessibility, what motivates people to work on it, and which definitions are most widely accepted. The authors note that the accessibility community…

  accessibility theory · accessibility definitions · user experience · usability · accessibility policy

• How Voice Augmentation Supports Elderly Web Users

  Daisuke Sato, Masatomo Kobayashi, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa, Jiro Tanaka · 2011 · The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper from IBM Research Tokyo investigates how voice-based augmentation, originally developed for blind screen reader users, can be adapted to support older adults using web applications. The research addresses two key barriers that prevent elderly users from engaging with…

  aging · web accessibility · voice interface · cognitive accessibility · auditory interface

• More than Meets the Eye: A Survey of Screen-Reader Browsing Strategies

  Yevgen Borodin, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Glenn Dausch, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2010 · Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This comprehensive survey catalogues the browsing strategies that experienced screen reader users develop to overcome the accessibility and usability barriers they encounter on the web. Drawing from multiple user studies, the authors document how blind users are far from passive…

  screen readers · blindness · browsing strategies · web navigation · usability

• Towards a Tool for Keystroke Level Modeling of Skilled Screen Reading

  Shari Trewin, Bonnie E. John, John Richards, Cal Swart, Jonathan Brezin, Rachel Bellamy, John Thomas · 2010 · Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010)

  This paper explores whether cognitive models of auditory interaction — specifically the Keystroke-Level Model (KLM) — can be adapted to predict task completion times for skilled screen reader users, with the goal of helping designers evaluate the usability of their interfaces…

  screen readers · cognitive modeling · usability · keyboard navigation · JAWS

• Evaluation of techniques defined in WCAG 2.0 with older people

  Sergio Sayago, Laura Camacho, Josep Blat · 2009 · Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibililty (W4A)

  This paper evaluates two specific WCAG 2.0 techniques — keyboard-based navigation (Guideline 2.1) and design of link purpose (Guideline 2.4) — with older people aged 65 to 80 in two real-world design projects for old-age pensioner associations in Barcelona, Spain. The study…

  aging · WCAG compliance · keyboard accessibility · link design · user testing

• Is Wikipedia Usable for the Blind?

  Marina Buzzi, Barbara Leporini · 2008 · Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper evaluates the accessibility and usability of Wikipedia for blind screen reader users by analyzing three key interaction modes: browsing the home page, searching and viewing results, and editing content. The authors tested both the English and Italian Wikipedia using…

  screen readers · blind users · wiki accessibility · usability · Wikipedia

• Input to the Mobile Web is Situationally-Impaired

  Tianyi Chen · 2008 · Proceedings of the 10th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '08)

  This paper investigates the overlap between input problems experienced by mobile web users and those faced by disabled desktop users, particularly people with motor impairments. The author argues that these two domains are typically studied in isolation despite sharing…

  mobile accessibility · situational impairment · motor disability · input methods · web accessibility

• How Older and Younger Adults Differ in Their Approach to Problem Solving on a Complex Website

  Peter G. Fairweather · 2008 · Proceedings of the 10th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '08)

  This IBM Research paper challenges the prevailing assumption that older adults use the web in the same way as younger adults, just more slowly and less accurately. The study examined how 28 participants aged 18-73 navigated a complex newspaper website to solve a realistic…

  aging · web navigation · cognitive accessibility · usability · older adults

• A Preliminary Usability Evaluation of Strategies for Seeking Online Information with Elderly People

  Sergio Sayago, Josep Blat · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This short paper from Pompeu Fabra University Barcelona presents an experimental study comparing how seven elderly participants (ages 65-74) performed using three strategies for finding complex information online: Google basic search, Google advanced search, and the Yahoo!…

  aging · usability · information seeking · search engines · mouse difficulties

• Older Women and Digital TV: A Case Study

  Sri Kurniawan · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper from the University of Manchester investigates why digital television (DTV) services are unappealing to older women in the UK, using a Delphi interview technique with a panel of three expert DTV older women users (aged 69, 70, and 75) who were students at the College…

  aging · digital television · technology adoption · digital divide · older adults

• Using participatory activities with seniors to critique, build, and evaluate mobile phones

  Michael Massimi, Ronald M. Baecker, Michael Wu · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This Assets '07 paper from University of Toronto engages older adults not as subjects of a usability study but as co-designers of a mobile phone system. Massimi, Baecker, and Wu argue that the two dominant trends in 'senior-friendly' phone design — oversimplified handsets like…

  mobile accessibility · older adults · aging · participatory design · co-design