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• Measuring Website Usability for Visually Impaired People - A Modified GOMS Analysis

  Henrik Tonn-Eichstädt · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper adapts the GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection rules) model — a well-established HCI method for estimating task execution times — to measure website usability specifically for blind screen reader users. The author argues that accessibility is fundamentally a…

  screen readers · usability · web accessibility · GOMS · braille

• Improving Non-Visual Web Access Using Context

  Jalal Mahmud, Yevgen Borodin, Dipanjan Das, I.V. Ramakrishnan · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents CSurf, a context-directed non-visual web browsing system that significantly reduces browsing time for blind users by intelligently rearranging page content based on navigational context. The core insight is that when a sighted user clicks a link, they can…

  screen readers · non-visual access · web navigation · context analysis · web page segmentation

• Using Think Aloud Protocol with Blind Users: A Case for Inclusive Usability Evaluation Methods

  Sambhavi Chandrashekar, Tony Stockman, Deborah Fels, Rachel Benedyk · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper examines whether the Think Aloud Protocol (TAP), one of the most widely used usability evaluation methods, can be effectively applied when testing with blind screen reader users. The study involved six vision-impaired students evaluating a website designed to test the…

  usability testing · think aloud protocol · blind users · screen readers · research methods

• Determining the Impact of Computer Frustration on the Mood of Blind Users Browsing the Web

  Jonathan Lazar, Jinjuan Feng, Aaron Allen · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from Towson University's Universal Usability Laboratory examines how computer frustration affects the mood of 100 blind web users — the first study to investigate the emotional impact of frustrating computing experiences specifically for users with visual impairments.…

  screen readers · visual impairment · user frustration · web accessibility · affective computing

• Interactive Tracking of Movable Objects for the Blind on the Basis of Environment Models and Perception-Oriented Object Recognition Methods

  Andreas Hub, Tim Hartter, Thomas Ertl · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from the University of Stuttgart presents advances to an indoor navigation and object identification system for blind and deafblind users. The system combines a stereo camera and 3D inertial sensor mounted on a bicycle helmet with detailed 3D environment models of…

  indoor navigation · object recognition · blind users · computer vision · assistive technology

• VoxBoox: A System for Automatic Generation of Interactive Talking Books

  Aanchal Jain, Gopal Gupta · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This poster paper from the University of Texas at Dallas presents VoxBoox, a system that automatically converts HTML-coded digital books into interactive talking books accessible via telephone. The system works by translating HTML pages into VoiceXML — the W3C standard markup…

  talking books · VoiceXML · aural navigation · visual impairment · blind users

• A Prototype of Google Interfaces Modified for Simplifying Interaction for Blind Users

  Patrizia Andronico, Marina Buzzi, Carlos Castillo, Barbara Leporini · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This demo paper from Italy's National Research Council and Università di Roma presents a prototype that restructures Google's search and results pages to be more usable for blind screen reader users. Previous research had shown that blind users took 2.5 times longer than sighted…

  search engine accessibility · blind users · screen readers · JAWS · usability

• A Flexible VXML Interpreter for Non-Visual Web Access

  Yevgen Borodin · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This doctoral consortium paper from Stony Brook University presents VXMLSurf, an open-source VoiceXML interpreter being developed as part of the HearSay project for non-visual web browsing. VoiceXML is the W3C standard for specifying interactive voice dialogs, widely used in…

  VoiceXML · non-visual browsing · voice browser · blind users · screen readers

• Modeling Educational Software for People with Disabilities: Theory and Practice

  Nelson Baloian, Wolfram Luther, Jaime Sánchez · 2002 · Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper proposes a unified modelling framework for developing educational software for people with sensory disabilities, drawing on two existing systems as case studies: AudioDoom for blind children and Whisper for hearing-impaired users. The authors argue that interactive…

  accessible education · blind users · deaf users · sensory disabilities · audio games

• Constructive Exploration of Spatial Information by Blind Users

  Jochen Schneider, Thomas Strothotte · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Magdeburg introduces "constructive exploration," a novel approach to helping blind people learn spatial layouts by actively building physical representations of routes and areas using building blocks, guided by an interactive computer system.…

  blind users · spatial cognition · tactile maps · haptic interface · force feedback

• A Domain Specific Language Framework for Non-Visual Browsing of Complex HTML Structures

  E. Pontelli, W. Xiong, G. Gupta, A. I. Karshmer · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from New Mexico State University, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of South Florida presents a framework for navigating complex HTML structures — specifically tables, frames, and forms — that are particularly challenging for screen reader users. The core…

  table accessibility · non-visual browsing · screen readers · domain specific language · HTML tables

• Lessons from Developing Audio HTML Interfaces

  Frankie James · 1998 · Proceedings of the Third International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '98)

  This paper presents the AHA (Audio HTML Access) framework, a set of principles for choosing sounds to use in audio-based HTML interfaces designed for blind and visually impaired users. The research builds on earlier work at Stanford University exploring how web content can be…

  audio interfaces · non-visual web access · sonification · speech synthesis · blind users

• Adaptation of a Cash Dispenser to the Needs of Blind and Visually Impaired People

  Jens M. Manzke · 1998 · Proceedings of the Third International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '98)

  This paper from ETH Zurich describes the software adaptation of an Olivetti cash dispenser (ATM) to make it accessible to blind and visually impaired people, conducted as part of Switzerland's Walk-up-and-use Technology initiative. The key constraint was that no hardware…

  ATM accessibility · self-service terminals · blind users · low vision · speech output

• Conversational Gestures for Direct Manipulation on the Audio Desktop

  T. V. Raman · 1998 · Proceedings of the Third International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '98)

  This paper by T. V. Raman of Adobe Systems' Advanced Technology Group presents a systematic methodology for designing auditory interfaces by decomposing visual interaction into "conversational gestures" — the atomic building blocks of human-computer dialogue. Rather than…

  auditory interface · audio desktop · speech-enabling · conversational gestures · direct manipulation

• V-Lynx: Bringing the World Wide Web to Sight Impaired Users

  Mitchell Krell, Davor Cubranic · 1996 · Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This 1996 paper from the University of Southern Mississippi presents V-Lynx, one of the earliest voice-enabled web browsers designed to make the World Wide Web accessible to sight-impaired users. At this time, WWW traffic had only recently become significant — comprising just…

  web accessibility · screen reader · speech synthesis · web browser · blind users

• Touching and Hearing GUIs: Design Issues for the PC-Access System

  Christophe Ramstein, Odile Martial, Aude Dufresne, Michel Carignan, Patrick Chassé, Philippe Mabilleau · 1996 · Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This 1996 paper from Canada's Centre for Information Technology Innovation presents PC-Access, a pioneering multimodal system that combines haptic (touch) and auditory feedback to make Microsoft Windows graphical user interfaces accessible to visually impaired users. The core…

  haptic technology · force feedback · multimodal interface · GUI accessibility · blind users

• An Approach to the Evaluation of Assistive Technology

  Robert D. Stevens, Alistair D. N. Edwards · 1996 · Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This University of York paper addresses a fundamental challenge in assistive technology research: the difficulty of conducting rigorous evaluations using conventional controlled testing paradigms. The authors identify several obstacles specific to assistive technology…

  assistive technology evaluation · mathematical accessibility · blind users · earcon · auditory interface

• Hyperbraille: a hypertext system for the blind

  T. Kieninger, N. Kuhn · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This 1994 paper presents Hyperbraille, a system designed to make hypertext documents accessible to blind users through braille output devices. The research addresses a fundamental challenge: hypertext systems rely heavily on visual cues such as highlighted or colored text to…

  Braille · hypertext · blind users · navigation · document analysis

• Audio formatting of a graph

  S. H. Zhang, M. Krishnamoorthy · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This 1994 paper introduces Audio Formatting of a Graph (AFG), a software package designed to make graph theory accessible to visually impaired students and researchers. Graph theory — the mathematical study of relationships between objects represented as nodes and edges — relies…

  sonification · graph theory · blind users · audio representation · mathematics accessibility

• Personal guidance system for the visually impaired

  J. M. Loomis, R. G. Golledge, R. L. Klatzky, J. M. Speigle, J. Tietz · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This 1994 paper outlines the design and progress of a portable navigation system intended to enable visually impaired individuals to travel independently through both familiar and unfamiliar environments. The system integrates three core functional components: a positioning and…

  navigation · blind users · GPS · geographic information system · wayfinding

• Interface modeling issues in providing access to GUIs for the visually impaired (panel session)

  A. D. N. Edwards, E. D. Mynatt, J. Thatcher · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This Assets '94 panel session brought together three leading researchers to discuss the fundamental challenge of making graphical user interfaces accessible to blind and visually impaired users. By 1994, the computing world was rapidly transitioning from text-based command-line…

  GUI accessibility · screen reader · blind users · off-screen model · interface modeling

• Automatic impact sound generation for using in nonvisual interfaces

  A. Darvishi, E. Munteanu, V. Guggiana, H. Schauer, M. Motavalli, M. Rauterberg · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This paper describes a joint research project between the University of Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) aimed at developing an audio framework for non-visual interfaces based on physically modeled impact sounds. Rather than using arbitrary audio cues…

  sonification · auditory display · non-visual interface · physical modeling · sound synthesis

• Screen Reader/2: Access to OS/2 and the Graphical User Interface

  Jim Thatcher · 1994 · Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This paper describes IBM Screen Reader/2, a screen access system that enabled blind users to interact with the OS/2 graphical user interface (GUI), Windows programs running under OS/2, and text-mode DOS and OS/2 programs. The system evolved from nearly a decade of development…

  screen readers · graphical user interface · blind users · off-screen model · text-to-speech