Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Examining Image-Based Button Labeling for Accessibility in Android Apps through Large-Scale Analysis

  Anne Spencer Ross, Xiaoyi Zhang, James Fogarty, Jacob O. Wobbrock (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This paper presents the first large-scale analysis of mobile app accessibility, focusing specifically on label-based accessibility barriers in image-based buttons across 5,753 free Android apps. The researchers analyzed three classes of interactive i…

  • mobile accessibility
  • Android
  • screen readers
  • image labeling
  • large-scale analysis
  • automated testing
  • content descriptions

• Designing a Context Aware AAC Solution

  Conor McKillop (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This student research competition paper explores the design of a context-aware AAC keyboard prototype that uses mobile device sensors — particularly GPS and Wi-Fi positioning — to suggest location-relevant phrases and categories for people with speec…

  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • context awareness
  • word prediction
  • cerebral palsy
  • mobile accessibility
  • speech generating devices
  • communication
  • participatory design
  • user-centered design

• Help Kiosk: An Augmented Display System to Assist Older Adults to Learn How to Use Smart Phones

  Zachary Wilson, Helen Yin, Sayan Sarcar, Rock Leung, Joanna McGrenere (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This demonstration paper presents Help Kiosk (HK), a system that uses a large 19-inch touchscreen display to temporarily augment a smartphone's small screen during learning episodes for older adults. The system addresses two converging trends: rapidl…

  • aging
  • mobile accessibility
  • digital literacy
  • learning
  • older adults
  • scaffolding
  • smartphone
  • user experience
  • display technology

• Towards Accessible Conversations in a Mobile Context for People who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

  Dhruv Jain, Rachel Franz, Leah Findlater, Jackson Cannon, Raja Kushalnagar, Jon Froehlich (2018) — Proceedings of the 20th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '18)

  This paper presents two studies examining the communication needs of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) people in mobile contexts (walking, transit, recreational activities) and the potential for head-mounted display (HMD) captions to address those needs…

  • deaf and hard of hearing
  • real-time captioning
  • augmented reality
  • head-mounted display
  • mobile accessibility
  • conversations
  • HoloLens
  • visual attention split

• A web browsing system based on adaptive presentation of web contents for cellular phones

  Yuki Arase, Takuya Maekawa, Takahiro Hara, Toshiaki Uemukai, Shojiro Nishio (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Osaka University and KDDI R&D Laboratories presents a web browsing system that adaptively presents web page components on cellular phones based on their content characteristics. The authors identify that browsing desktop-designed web …

  • mobile accessibility
  • content adaptation
  • adaptive presentation
  • small screen devices
  • auto-scrolling
  • web browsing

• Mobile phones may be the right devices for supporting developing world accessibility, but is the WWW the right service delivery model?

  Tapan S. Parikh (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This position paper from the University of Washington argues that while mobile phones are well-suited devices for delivering information services to rural developing world users, the World Wide Web as a service delivery model is fundamentally mismatc…

  • mobile accessibility
  • digital divide
  • ICT4D
  • rural accessibility
  • novice users
  • Global South accessibility
  • literacy
  • offline access

• Use of RSS feeds for content adaptation in mobile web browsing

  Alexander Blekas, John Garofalakis, Vasilios Stefanis (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Patras presents a proxy-based system that uses RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds to adapt web content for mobile phone browsing. The authors address the fundamental challenge that desktop web pages are largely in…

  • mobile accessibility
  • content adaptation
  • proxy server
  • RSS
  • mobile browsing
  • small screen devices

• Web accessibility: is it just a "merry-go-round"?

  Donna Smillie (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This position paper by Donna Smillie of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) examines the relationship between traditional web accessibility for people with disabilities and the emerging field of mobile web accessibility. Writing at a …

  • mobile accessibility
  • web accessibility
  • universal design
  • usability
  • cross-device compatibility

• Grouping Hyperlinks for Improved Voice/Mobile Accessibility

  Alex Penev, Raymond K. Wong (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from UNSW Sydney proposes an automatic technique for clustering a web page's hyperlinks into topical groups to help blind screen reader users and mobile device users locate desired links more quickly. The core problem is that sighted users…

  • web accessibility
  • screen readers
  • blind users
  • navigation
  • mobile accessibility
  • clustering
  • information retrieval
  • algorithms

• Getting mobile with mobile devices: using the web to improve transit accessibility

  Darren Minifie, Yvonne Coady (2009) — Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibililty (W4A)

  This paper proposes a mobile web-based architecture for making public transit accessible to blind and visually impaired travelers. Drawing on direct feedback from the blind community (including one of the authors, who is visually impaired), the paper…

  • mobile accessibility
  • public transportation
  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • GPS
  • wayfinding
  • context-aware computing
  • location awareness
  • accessible transportation