The Accessibility of Mathematical Notation on the Web and Beyond

This paper serves two purposes. First, it offers an overview of the role of the Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) in representing mathematical notation on the Web, and its significance for accessibility. To orient the discussion, hypotheses are advanced regarding users’ needs in connection with the accessibility of mathematical notation. Second, current developments in the evolution of MathML are reviewed, noting their consequences for accessibility, and commenting on prospects for future improvement in the concrete experiences of users of assistive technologies. Recommendations are advanced for further research and development activities, emphasizing the cognitive aspects of user interface design

Pedestrian accessibility of services as a measure of territorial cohesion at the neighbourhood level

Territorial cohesion, despite its initial ambiguity, has been successfully implemented in national and regional policies across the EU. However, its operationalisation on the local level remains a major challenge. This paper asks whether pedestrian accessibility of services and public transport nodes can be used as a measure of territorial cohesion at the local level. The presented research was conducted in 2016–19 in five neighbourhoods in Poland representing various settlement contexts: large cities, medium-sized towns and suburban areas. It adapted particular indicators of territorial cohesion established by ESPON to the neighbourhood scale. The highest levels of territorial cohesion expressed by users’ satisfaction were achieved in a neighbourhood in a medium-sized town, whereas in geographical terms, territorial cohesion reached higher levels in large cities. Despite those differences, the proposed research method based on pedestrian accessibility offers quantifiable and comparable results on territorial cohesion on the neighbourhood level

Examining the Impact of Culture and Language on the User Acceptance of the Media Website in Jordan

This study examines the website acceptance based on the information system quality and the impact of cultural dimensions and language components on the actual acceptance and usage of the identified media websites. Based on the data from three groups of users, namely the users of bbc.com to represent the purely English media websites, the al-jazeera.com representing the semi-localized media website and the al-rai.com representing the local websites. Questionnaires were administered to 420 internet users in different regions in Jordan. The questionnaire measures nine parameters which include the system accessibility, the response time, information quality, cultural adaptation, Arabic language, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes towards using the websites and the behavioral intention to use the websites. Capitalizing on the quantitative research methodology by expanding the technology acceptance model for the research framework, the findings showed that the cultural dimensions of power distance, collectivism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance have the positive impact on the Jordanian users’ preference of the media websites. The conclusions are drawn from the positive impact of cultural adaptation on the perceived ease of use of the local websites and also on the users’ attitudes towards the use of the local websites. However, there is a negative impact based on the lack of cultural adaptation on the users’ attitudes towards the use of English originated websites. Similarly, there is no significant impact of the cultural adaptation on the users’ attitudes towards the use of the semi- localized websites. The research findings showed that the websites’ information system quality, the Arabic language usage and the Arabic cultural adaptation have positive impacts on the Jordanian users’ perceptions and acceptance in choosing the media websites as preferred websites

CFMC Digital Education Research

Through this project, our group was able to understand how to use market research as a tool for representing diverse perspectives. This is incredibly relevant as the business issue we investigated was how to digitally educate a collective/unified voice to a diverse group of end users. To achieve this, we included both qualitative and quantitative research in our project to get as rich and varied insights as possible, accounting for accessibility and ensuring people have multiple avenues to share. This guiding principle relates nicely to our group\u27s anti-racist values as we have made sure to value all perspectives while gathering research and commit to including input from all voices

University Website Quality Ranking using Logarithmic Fuzzy Preference Programming

The current tight competition in developing University websites forces developers to create better products that meet users needs and convinient. There are at least two factors representing university websites; accessibility and usability. We test three criteria of accessibility and usability that are called stickiness, backlink, and web page loading time. Usability and accessibility are closely related to subjective user judgments. Human judgment cannot be valid. Thus the use of fuzzy numbers are expected to provide solutions in calculating the results. In this research, the question of usability is a multi criteria decision-making problem that is caused by its complex structure. We use the Logarithmic Fuzzy Preference Programming (LFPP) method, which is a refinement of the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process method, to solve this problem. This research aims to re- assess the rank of five Indonesian university websites. Based on LFPP method, we obtain that the equation of model gets high consistency of the set priority matching to fuzzy pairwise comparison matrix of three selection criteria. The calculation results show that stickiness is the most significant factor that affects the quality of the websites

A framework for Adaptive Capability Profiling

This thesis documents research providing improvements in the field of accessibility modelling, which will be of particular interest as computing becomes increasingly ubiquitous. It is argued that a new approach is required that takes into account the dynamic relationship between users, their technology (both hardware and software) and any additional Assistive Technologies (ATs) that may be required. In addition, the approach must find a balance between fidelity and transportability. A theoretical framework has been developed that is able to represent both users and technology in symmetrical (hierarchical) recursive profiles, using a vocabulary that moves from device-specific to device-agnostic capabilities. The research has resulted in the development of a single unified solution that is able to functionally assess the accessibility of interactions through the use of pattern matching between graph-based profiles. A self-efficacy study was also conducted, which identified the inability of older people to provide the data necessary to drive a system based on the framework. Subsequently, the ethical considerations surrounding the use of automated data collection agents were discussed and a mechanism for representing contextual information was also included. Finally, real user data was collected and processed using a practically implemented prototype to provide an evaluation of the approach. The thesis represents a contribution through its ability to both: (1) accommodate the collection of data from a wide variety of sources, and (2) support accessibility assessments at varying levels of abstraction in order to identify if/where assistance may be necessary. The resulting approach has contributed to a work-package of the Sus-IT project, under the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme of research in the UK. It has also been presented to a W3C Research and Development Working Group symposium on User Modelling for Accessibility (UM4A). Finally, dissemination has been taken forward through its inclusion as an invited paper presented during a subsequent parallel session within the 8th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction

Promoting Dignity through Design: A Grounded Analysis of Stakeholders' Views on the Role of Disability Organizations in Inclusive Design

Inclusive design promotes the involvement of users with diverse needs in the design process. The possibility of disability organizations collaborating with businesses to enhance accessibility through inclusive design was explored in this major research project. Open-ended interviews were held with twelve participants representing interactions with disability organizations as clients, employees, volunteers, supporters, or business associates. The data were gathered and analyzed using a grounded approach. The analysis revealed the complexity of accessibility and the value associated by the participants with dignity. A model focused around dignity and a potential application was proposed as a supportive tool to illustrate the concepts further. A core idea proposed by this research is that design, when directed at promoting the dignity of the users, could enhance their experience and create more inclusive systems

The role of public transport in addressing sustainable mobility for the elderly population in Malta

Over the past few years, several countries have continued experiencing a growth in their elderly population. Similarly, a number of towns and villages in Malta registered a high elderly population in the last census (NSO, 2012). The elderly people are one of the dominant ‘transport disadvantaged’ groups in the community. This research aims to analyse whether the current public transport system in Malta is providing effective and efficient mobility for elderly in the town of Luqa. In order to analyse this, the study analysed spatial accessibility, sought to identify barriers encountered by the elderly when using public transport and determine temporal accessibility to medical care. Data was collected using telephone surveys, travel time and bus frequency surveys. Statistical analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS 20 and Geographic Information Systems. The study showed that proximity to bus stops in Luqa does not affect public transport use amongst the elderly. The main barriers that elderly encounter when using public transport are mainly related to long waiting times, lack of comfort on bus stops and inaccessible travel information. Finally, temporal accessibility from Luqa to the State’s general hospital, Mater Dei, still requires improvements as it does not meet the desired time budgets of elderly people. By identifying the main concerns this study seeks to encourage policy makers and planners to target future development in public transport taking into consideration the requirements of the growing elderly population.peer-reviewe