Transcoding for web accessibility for the blind : semantics from structure

True accessibility requires minimizing the scanning time to find a particular piece of information. Sequentially reading web pages do not provide this type of accessibility, for instance before the user gets to the actual text content of the page it has to go through a lot of menus and headers. However if the user could navigate a web page based through semantically classified blocks then the user could jump faster to the actual content of the page, skipping all the menus and other parts of the page. We propose a transcoding engine that tackles accessibility at two distinct, yet complementary, levels: for specific known sites and general unknown sites. We present a tool for building customized scripts for known sites that turns this process in an extremely simple task, which can be performed by anyone, without any expertise. For general unknown sites, our approach relies on statistical analysis of the structural blocks that define a web page to infer a semantic for the block.(undefined

Using overview style tables on small devices

Users increasingly expect access to data from a wide range of devices, both wired and wireless. The long term goal of our research is to inform the design of applications that support data access by providing reasonably seamless migration of data among internet-compatible devices with minimal loss of effectiveness and efficiency. In this paper we focus on design issues related to the use of tables of data on small mobile devices. In particular we are concerned with tables presented in an overview or focus + context style to maintain the consistency of their structure on all devices to support users who have already used the data on larger devices. We report on the results of two user studies related to two techniques, cascade and auto column expansion, that support the use of tables in such a display. We show that for a range of tasks from simple lookup to complex comparisons, both techniques provide benefit to the users

Effective Computer Access with Plan-Based Intelligent Screen Reader

The intelligent screen reader system observes a user¡¯s keystrokes when he or she is performing tasks, and infers an underlying plan structure. The system then generates an optimized script that allows the user to perform the same task more efficiently in the future. The intelligent screen reader system is particularly beneficial for visually impaired computer users.The JAWS for Windows screen reader was chosen for this prototype, since the JAWS scripting language provides flexibility to users for customizing their tasks within a specific application. The JAWS macro recorder, developed by Freedom Scientific Inc., records all the user¡¯s actions. Automated Synthesis of Plan Recognition Networks (ASPRN), developed by Intelligent Reasoning Systems Inc., takes a plan or a script representation as input and outputs a specially-constructed belief network that supports plan recognition. The Script Generation Interface, developed by the University of Pittsburgh, allows users to modify the actions recorded by the JAWS macro recorder and generate an optimized script. Development of the SGI involved integrating the SGI with the JAWS macro recorder, integrating the SGI with ASPRN, and implementing the SGI user interface.Preliminary usability testing involving the intelligent screen reader system was conducted with visually impaired users. Within limited actions and tasks, the results are satisfactory. Users felt the SGI was easy to learn and operate, and that it was efficient to create useful scripts with the intelligent screen reader system. Future work includes adding more plans to the plan library and creating a tutorial system

The effectiveness of the web accessibility audit as a motivational and educational tool in inclusive web design

The importance of Web sites that can be accessed and used regardless of an individual?s disability is critical. One barrier to improved accessibility of Web sites relates to the gap between Web authors? technical knowledge of Web accessibility guidelines and a broader understanding of the challenges facing disabled people when interacting with Web sites.This thesis describes the development and evaluation of a Web accessibility auditing methodology with the dual aims of accurately identifying accessibility barriers present in a Web site, and presenting the audit findings and recommended actions in a way that informs, educates and engenders an improved understanding of accessibility amongst the audience.The methodology was piloted amongst a sample of Web sites, validated against other published accessibility evaluation methodologies, and adopted for subsequent audits carried out on a commercial basis. The impact on recipient organisations and individuals of a sample of 14 commercially commissioned audits was then evaluated. Audit recipients were surveyed, and each Web site audited evaluated to identify any changes to accessibility, and the presence of evidence of changes or improvements to accessibility strategy.Strong indications were found that the audits had a positive impact both on individuals and on the commissioning organisations. The audits were identified as having a particularly positive educational and motivational impact on recipients who did not identify themselves as having expertise in Web accessibility. There was also evidence that the design approach promoted by the audits had been adopted and applied by some of the commissioning organisations. The majority of respondents cited the recommendations for improvement as the most valuable feature of the audit. This illustrates a tension between the importance of presenting specific recommendations for actions and providing richer narrative accounts of evaluation stages to encourage a more holistic appreciation of accessibility.The particular benefits of the study are found in the identification of evidence of impact of commercially-commissioned Web accessibility audits over a period of time to recipients of varying characteristics. A number of areas for further investigation have been identified, focusing on investigating the potential value of the accessibility audit in providing more ?experiential? evaluation stages.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo