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• Accessibility 2.0: People, Policies and Processes

  Brian Kelly, David Sloan, Stephen Brown, Jane Seale, Helen Petrie, Patrick Lauke, Simon Ball · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This influential paper by a multi-institutional UK team argues that the WAI's predominantly technology-focused approach to web accessibility is counter-productive, and proposes "Accessibility 2.0" — a user-focused, contextual, pluralistic alternative that prioritizes people,…

  web accessibility · accessibility policy · WCAG · contextual accessibility · e-learning

• Mathematics on the Web: Emerging Opportunities for Visually Impaired People

  Cristian Bernareggi, Dominique Archambault · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the @Science European thematic network surveys the state of the art in making mathematical content on the web accessible to visually impaired people, arguing that MathML adoption is the key to unlocking accessibility. The authors explain a fundamental challenge:…

  mathematical accessibility · visual impairment · blind users · MathML · braille

• Using a CMS to Create Fully Accessible Websites

  Sébastien Rainville-Pitt, Jean-Marie D'Amour · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents Edimaster Plus, a content management system developed over five years by Netic Hypermedia Inc. in Quebec, Canada, designed from the ground up to generate fully accessible websites meeting all three WAI priority levels. The paper addresses a…

  web accessibility · content management systems · authoring tools · WCAG compliance · assistive technology

• Accessibility for Simple to Moderate-Complexity DHTML Web Sites

  Cynthia C. Shelly, George Young · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This detailed technical paper from Microsoft provides practical design and coding techniques for making Dynamic HTML and AJAX applications accessible using the browser and assistive technology capabilities available in 2007 — deliberately without relying on the then-in-progress…

  web accessibility · DHTML · AJAX · JavaScript · keyboard accessibility

• Accessible Image File Formats: The Need and the Way (Position Paper)

  Sandeep R. Patil · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This position paper from IBM India argues that existing WCAG guidelines for image accessibility (alt text, longdesc, image maps) are insufficient because they rely on voluntary compliance by content authors and cannot address scenarios where images are the primary content — such…

  image accessibility · alternative text · screen readers · blind users · visual impairment

• Ajax Live Regions: ReefChat Using the Fire Vox Screen Reader as a Case Example

  Peter Thiessen, Charles Chen · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents ReefChat, an accessible Ajax chat application, and Fire Vox, an open-source screen reader extension for Firefox, as a proof-of-concept for WAI-ARIA live regions — one of the earliest practical demonstrations of this then-nascent specification. The authors…

  ARIA · live regions · web accessibility · AJAX · Web 2.0

• Making Multimedia Content Accessible for Screen Reader Users

  Hisashi Miyashita, Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from IBM Research Tokyo describes an accessible multimedia browser designed to address three critical barriers blind users face with web multimedia content. The first problem is audio conflict: when media plays on a page, its sound masks the screen reader's speech…

  multimedia accessibility · screen readers · blind users · audio description · video accessibility

• The Status of Using "Big Eye" Chinese Screen Reader on "Wretch" Blog in Taiwan

  Yui-Liang Chen, Yung-Yu Ho · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This short paper examines the accessibility of Wretch Blog (wretch.cc), one of the most popular blogging platforms in Taiwan, when used with "Big Eye," a Chinese-language screen reader. The authors find that most core functionality of the blog works for visually impaired users —…

  web accessibility · screen readers · blind users · blogging · multilingual accessibility

• The HearSay Non-Visual Web Browser

  Yevgen Borodin, Jalal Mahmud, I. V. Ramakrishnan, Amanda Stent · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents the original HearSay non-visual web browser (version 1/2), developed at Stony Brook University in collaboration with the Helen Keller Services for the Blind. HearSay is a free, open-source, cross-platform browser written in Java that uses Mozilla for web…

  non-visual web browser · screen readers · blind users · web accessibility · natural language processing

• (Natural Language) Interaction with Graphical Representations of Statistical Data

  Leo Ferres, Petro Verkhogliad, Louis Boucher · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Carleton University and Statistics Canada presents iGraph-Lite, a system that makes statistical graphs published in "The Daily" (Statistics Canada's main dissemination publication) accessible to blind and visually impaired users through natural language…

  data visualization · blind users · visual impairment · natural language processing · web accessibility

• Iconic Communication System by XML Language: (SCILX)

  Nathalie Cindy Kuicheu, Laure Pauline Fotso, François Siewe · 2007 · Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon) and De Montfort University (UK) presents SCILX, an XML-based iconic communication system that extends traditional iconic interfaces to enable communication through the Internet. Previous iconic systems — such as the Edith…

  augmentative and alternative communication · iconic communication · XML · literacy · digital divide

• Increasing Web Accessibility by Automatically Judging Alternative Text Quality

  Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2007 · Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI 2007)

  This paper presents a machine learning classifier that can automatically judge whether alternative text assigned to web images is appropriate or inappropriate, using contextual features rather than visual analysis of the image itself. The research addresses a persistent web…

  alternative text · web accessibility · machine learning · screen readers · automated testing

• WebAnywhere: A Screen Reader On-the-Go

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Craig M. Prince · 2007 · Assets '07: Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This demonstration paper introduces WebAnywhere, a web-based, self-voicing screen reader that enables blind users to access the web from any computer with a standard browser and sound output, without needing to install specialized software. The paper addresses a fundamental…

  screen readers · web accessibility · blind users · assistive technology · text-to-speech

• WebinSitu: A Comparative Analysis of Blind and Sighted Browsing Behavior

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Anna C. Cavender, Jeremy T. Brudvik, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Richard E. Ladner · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper presents WebinSitu, a remote in situ study comparing the web browsing behavior of 10 blind and 10 sighted users over a one-week period. The study used an advanced web proxy built on UsaProxy that injected JavaScript into viewed pages to record not just HTTP requests…

  web accessibility · blind users · screen readers · browsing behavior · user research

• Evaluating American Sign Language Generation Through the Participation of Native ASL Signers

  Matt Huenerfauth, Liming Zhao, Erdan Gu, Jan Allbeck · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper addresses the challenge of generating animations of American Sign Language (ASL) sentences, focusing specifically on classifier predicates — complex spatial constructions that describe the location, movement, size, and shape of objects. While previous ASL generation…

  sign language generation · American Sign Language · classifier predicates · animation evaluation · natural language generation

• A Software Model to Support Collaborative Mathematical Work between Braille and Sighted Users

  Dominique Archambault, Bernhard Stöger, Mario Batusic, Claudia Fahrengruber, Klaus Miesenberger · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper presents the software model behind the MaWEn (Mathematical Working Environment) project, a long-term collaboration between Johannes Kepler Universität Linz and Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. The project addresses a fundamental barrier in mathematics…

  braille · mathematics accessibility · collaborative editing · MathML · inclusive education

• Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) for Communication and Control

  Jonathan R. Wolpaw · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This keynote paper from Jonathan Wolpaw at the Wadsworth Center (New York State Department of Health) provides an overview of brain-computer interface (BCI) research aimed at developing augmentative communication and control technology for people with severe neuromuscular…

  brain-computer interface · augmentative communication · neuromuscular disorders · ALS · EEG

• EasyVoice: Integrating Voice Synthesis with Skype

  Paulo A. Condado, Fernando G. Lobo · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper presents EasyVoice, a system developed at the University of Algarve that integrates text-to-speech synthesis with Skype to enable people with voice disabilities to have real-time phone conversations. The core insight is that while TTS systems and VoIP applications had…

  voice disabilities · text-to-speech · VoIP · augmentative communication · virtual keyboard

• MathPlayer V2.1: Web-based Math Accessibility

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

  This paper describes MathPlayer v2.1, a plug-in developed by Design Science, Inc. that renders MathML visually in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Adobe Acrobat/Reader while providing extensive accessibility features for people with print disabilities. Unlike previous math…

  mathematical accessibility · MathML · screen readers · braille · print disabilities

• A Novel Wayfinding System Based on Geo-coded QR Codes for Individuals with Cognitive Impairments

  Yao-Jen Chang, Shih-Kai Tsai, Yao-Sheng Chang, Tsen-Yung Wang · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper presents a wayfinding prototype system that uses geo-coded QR codes placed at decision points along routes to provide just-in-time navigation directions to people with cognitive impairments. Developed by researchers at Chung Yuan Christian University, National Chiao…

  cognitive impairment · wayfinding · QR code · navigation · ubiquitous computing

• Techniques to Assist in Developing Accessibility Engineers

  Jim A. Carter, David W. Fourney · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper describes the design and outcomes of CMPT 480/840 "Accessible Computing," a computer science course at the University of Saskatchewan focused on producing Accessibility Engineers rather than merely raising awareness of accessibility issues. The course, taught in…

  accessibility education · accessibility engineering · curriculum design · universal access · computer science education

• Humming Control Interface for Hand-held Devices

  Sook Young Won, Dong-In Lee, Julius Smith · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper from Stanford University presents a control-by-humming interface that allows hands-free operation of portable devices such as cell phones and music players through subvocal humming detected by a Bluetooth-connected insertion earphone/microphone. The system converts…

  alternative input · hands-free control · subvocal input · pitch detection · motor impairment

• 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

• An Operantly Conditioned Looking Task for Assessing Infant Auditory Processing Ability

  Jason Nawyn, Cynthia Roesler, Teresa Realpe-Bonilla, Naseem Choudhury, April A. Benasich · 2007 · Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper from the Center for Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University describes the design and evaluation of a gaze-driven interface for assessing rapid auditory processing (RAP) abilities in infants aged 4 to 6 months. The research is motivated by evidence…

  early intervention · eye tracking · infant assessment · auditory processing · language impairment

• Adoption and Configuration of Assistive Technologies: A Semiotic Engineering Perspective

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

  This paper from the University of Washington proposes applying semiotic engineering — an HCI design methodology rooted in semiotics (the study of signs, symbols, and their meanings) — to address the high abandonment rate of assistive technologies. Studies show that approximately…

  assistive technology · technology adoption · semiotic engineering · technology discontinuance · reading disabilities