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• Exploring Information Systems for the Workplace Accommodation Process

  Shiya Cao · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This extended abstract presents doctoral research exploring how information systems (IS) can facilitate the workplace accommodation process for employees with disabilities. The research is motivated by the persistent employment gap for people with disabilities — only 19.3% are…

  workplace accessibility · accommodations · information systems · disability employment · organizational accessibility

• Scribe: Improving Older Adults' Access to Medical Instructions from Patient-Physician Conversations

  Hilda Karimi, Jasprabhjit Bora, Martin Hammond · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This paper presents Scribe, a mobile prototype designed to help older adults access, organize, and recall medical information shared during doctor's visits. The research addresses a significant accessibility challenge: older patients, particularly those managing multiple chronic…

  older adults · health informatics · patient-physician communication · mobile accessibility · assistive technology

• The Transparency of Automatic Accessibility Evaluation Tools

  Parvaneh Parvin, Vanessa Palumbo, Marco Manca, Fabio Paternò · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This paper examines a critical but often overlooked problem in automated accessibility testing: the lack of transparency in how evaluation tools operate and present their results. The authors observe that different accessibility evaluation tools frequently produce variable…

  automated testing · accessibility evaluation · WCAG · transparency · web accessibility

• Understanding Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users' Interest in Sign-Language Interaction with Personal-Assistant Devices

  Abraham Glasser, Vaishnavi Mande, Matt Huenerfauth · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This mixed-methods study investigates Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) users' experiences with and interest in personal-assistant devices (such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home) that could understand American Sign Language (ASL) commands. The research was motivated by the growing…

  deaf and hard of hearing · sign language · personal assistants · voice interface · smart home

• LaTeX as an Inclusive Accessibility Instrument for Highschool Mathematical Education

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Marco Bracco, Nadir Murru, Tiziana Armano, Anna Capietto · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This paper reports on the design, implementation, and outcomes of a teaching activity in an Italian high school that used LaTeX typesetting language as an inclusive tool for mathematical education. The project was designed to support "Cristina" (pseudonym), a second-year applied…

  visual impairment · math accessibility · education accessibility · inclusive design · assistive technology

• Caption-Occlusion Severity Judgments across Live-Television Genres from Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Viewers

  Akhter Al Amin, Saad Hassan, Matt Huenerfauth · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This paper addresses a largely overlooked dimension of caption quality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) viewers: the problem of captions occluding important onscreen visual content during live television broadcasts. While existing caption quality metrics focus primarily on…

  deaf and hard of hearing · captions · television accessibility · caption placement · media accessibility

• WordMelodies: an Inclusive Mobile App Supporting the Acquisition of Literacy Skills

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Irene Mantegazza, Sergio Mascetti · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A '21)

  This paper presents WordMelodies, a cross-platform mobile edutainment application designed for inclusive literacy education for primary school children with and without visual impairments or blindness (VIB). The app was motivated by a teacher of children with VIB in the USA who…

  visual impairment · education accessibility · mobile accessibility · inclusive design · screen readers

• MusA: Artwork Accessibility through Augmented Reality for People with Low Vision

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Kristian Keller, Sergio Mascetti · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents MusA (Museo Accessibile), an iOS mobile application that uses augmented reality to make 2D visual artworks in museums accessible to people with low vision. The research addresses the persistent problem that people with visual impairments rarely visit museums,…

  low vision · augmented reality · museum accessibility · art accessibility · mobile accessibility

• Toward a User Experience Tool Selector for Voice User Interfaces

  Andreas M. Klein · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes the development of a UX tool selector for voice user interfaces (VUIs), presented as a web application that recommends appropriate measurement tools for evaluating VUI quality. Voice assistants such as Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri…

  voice user interfaces · user experience · evaluation methods · voice assistants · conversational user interfaces

• Accessibility Challenges in Lab Simulations

  Matthew Ralston, Greg Gay · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper describes the accessibility challenges encountered and solutions developed when creating online lab simulations for an Occupational Health and Safety course at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift from…

  education accessibility · online learning · keyboard accessibility · screen reader accessibility · ARIA

• Implementing an Accessible Conversational User Interface: Applying Feedback from University Students and Disability Support Advisors

  Francisco Iniesto, Tim Coughlan, Kate Lister · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents results from a beta trial of the ADMINS (Assistants for the Disclosure and Management of Information about Needs and Support) virtual assistant, developed at The Open University (UK) to help students disclose disabilities and receive guidance about available…

  conversational user interfaces · disability disclosure · higher education · participatory design · chatbots

• Enhancing Video Communication Experience for Low Vision Users

  Andreas Sackl, Raimund Schatz, Bruno Gardlo, Manfred Tscheligi · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates whether real-time video enhancement techniques can improve the video chat experience for people with low vision. The researchers extended an existing custom video player with video chat capabilities, allowing users to individually adjust the visual…

  low vision · video communication · visual enhancement · user experience · assistive technology

• Effect of Caption Width on the TV User Experience by Deaf and Hard of Hearing Viewers

  Abraham Glasser, Joseline Garcia, Chang Hwang, Christian Vogler, Raja Kushalnagar · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This study from Rochester Institute of Technology and Gallaudet University investigates how caption line width affects the viewing experience for Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) viewers. Captioning technology has not kept pace with the shift from broadcast TV to diverse personal…

  captioning · deaf and hard of hearing · video accessibility · user experience · media accessibility

• Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users' Preferences for Hearing Speakers' Behavior during Technology-Mediated In-Person and Remote Conversations

  Matthew Seita, Sarah Andrew, Matt Huenerfauth · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the first quantitative evidence of Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) individuals' preferences for specific speech and non-verbal behaviors from hearing conversational partners during technology-mediated communication. The researchers conducted two experimental…

  deaf and hard of hearing · automatic speech recognition · videoconferencing · communication accessibility · speechreading

• AccessComics: An Accessible Digital Comic Book Reader for People with Visual Impairments

  Yunjung Lee, Hwayeon Joh, Suhyeon Yoo, Uran Oh · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from Ewha Womans University in Seoul presents AccessComics, a web-based accessible digital comic book reader for people with visual impairments (PVI). Comics are a popular medium available on many digital platforms, yet almost none support screen readers, leaving…

  visual impairment · blindness · low vision · content accessibility · screen readers

• Online Learning Accessibility during the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Shanna Russ, Foad Hamidi · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This literature review examines 14 papers published over the past decade on e-learning accessibility, reframing their findings through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on K-12 education. During the pandemic, elementary, middle, and high schools made an emergency…

  education accessibility · online learning · universal design for learning · WCAG · digital accessibility

• Teaching Accessibility Awareness with Games

  Greg Gay · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the Accessibility Maze, a web-based serious game developed at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University) to teach web accessibility basics through experiential learning. The game was designed with three goals: provide a high-impact introduction…

  education accessibility · game accessibility · web accessibility · screen readers · keyboard accessibility

• Cognitive Function vs. Accessible Authentication: Insights from Dyslexia Research

  Jacques Ophoff, Graham Johnson, Karen Renaud · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper explores the accessibility challenges that password-based authentication poses to people with dyslexia, arguing that accessibility is a neglected third dimension alongside the well-studied security and usability considerations. The authors recruited 13 participants…

  cognitive accessibility · dyslexia · authentication · security · passwords

• Making the Elusive More Tangible: Remote Tools & Techniques for Teaching Web Development to Screen Reader Users

  Claire Ferrari, Chancey Fleet, Keita Ohshiro, Veronica Alfaro Arias, Amy Hurst · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a free, remote web development workshop for 12 screen reader users, conducted over nine Saturday sessions between August and October 2020. The workshop was a collaboration between New York University and the New…

  education accessibility · screen readers · web development · STEM accessibility · blindness

• Multi-touch Exploration and Sonification of Line Segments

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cristian Bernareggi, Sergio Mascetti, Federico Pini · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents SoundLines, a mobile app designed to help children with visual impairments develop spatial exploration skills through touchscreen interaction coupled with audio (sonification) feedback. The app is structured as a game where a kitten must be guided to find its…

  visual impairment · sonification · spatial cognition · mobile accessibility · tactile accessibility

• When Can Accessibility Help? An Exploration of Accessibility Feature Recommendation on Mobile Devices

  Jason Wu, Gabriel Reyes, Sam C. White, Xiaoyi Zhang, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper tackles a significant gap in mobile accessibility: while smartphone operating systems now include dozens of built-in accessibility features — from screen readers and magnifiers to caption support and touch accommodations — most users are unaware these features exist…

  mobile accessibility · accessibility features · older adults · recommender systems · feature discovery

• Distance Meetings During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Are Video Conferencing Tools Accessible for Blind People?

  Barbara Leporini, Marina Buzzi, Marion Hersh · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper evaluates the accessibility of three major video conferencing platforms — Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams — for blind users who rely on screen readers and keyboard navigation. Conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when video conferencing became essential for…

  screen readers · video conferencing · blind and low vision · keyboard accessibility · COVID-19

• COVID-19 Highlights the Issues Facing Blind and Visually Impaired People in Accessing Data on the Web

  Alexa F. Siu, Danyang Fan, Gene S-H Kim, Hrishikesh V. Rao, Xavier Vazquez, Sile O'Modhrain, Sean Follmer · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This mixed-methods study examines how blind and visually impaired (BVI) people experienced accessing data-driven information on the web during the COVID-19 pandemic — a period when data visualizations such as infection curves, maps of hotspots, and trend charts became central to…

  data visualization · blind and low vision · web accessibility · COVID-19 · screen readers

• Improving Mealtime Experiences of People with Visual Impairments

  SeungA Chung, Soobin Park, Sohyeon Park, Kyungyeon Lee, Uran Oh · 2021 · Proceedings of the 18th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates the mealtime challenges faced by people with visual impairments (PVI) and explores how assistive technology can support more independent dining experiences. While most accessibility research for PVI has focused on navigation and object recognition, this…

  visual impairment · assistive technology · independent living · daily living · computer vision

• Measuring Text Comprehension for People with Reading Difficulties Using a Mobile Application

  Andreas Säuberli · 2021 · Proceedings of the 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This extended abstract presents a mobile touchscreen application designed to measure text comprehension for people with reading difficulties, specifically targeting users of Easy Language — simplified text used to make information accessible to people with intellectual…

  readability · intellectual disability · easy language · reading accessibility · cognitive accessibility