Literature Reviews

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

• Semantic Web enabled web accessibility evaluation tools

  Shadi Abou-Zahra (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper by Shadi Abou-Zahra of the W3C presents the Evaluation and Report Language (EARL) as a Semantic Web-based solution to fundamental problems in web accessibility evaluation tooling. Abou-Zahra identifies that the accessibility evaluation too…

  • automated testing
  • accessibility testing
  • semantic web
  • EARL
  • evaluation tools
  • quality assurance
  • interoperability
  • W3C

• Is accessible design a myth?

  Eric A. Meyer (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  In this position paper, prominent CSS expert Eric Meyer (of Complex Spiral Consulting) examines the tensions between rich visual web design and accessibility, asking whether the two can truly coexist. Meyer traces the history of CSS image replacement…

  • screen readers
  • CSS
  • image replacement
  • skip links
  • web design
  • assistive technology
  • visual design
  • user education

• AcceSS: accessibility through simplification & summarization

  Bambang Parmanto, Reza Ferrydiansyah, Andi Saptono, Lijing Song, I Wayan Sugiantara, Stephanie Hackett (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Pittsburgh presents AcceSS, a transcoding system that makes web pages more accessible to visually impaired users through two complementary strategies: simplification and summarization. The authors identify a fundamen…

  • screen readers
  • visual impairment
  • web transcoding
  • content simplification
  • web navigation
  • gestalt comprehension
  • assistive technology

• 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

• Automatically producing IMS AccessForAll Metadata

  Matteo Boni, Sara Cenni, Silvia Mirri, Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Paola Salomoni (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Bologna presents the ACCMDBuilder, a software component that automatically generates IMS AccessForAll Metadata (ACCMD) descriptions for accessible learning objects (LOs). The IMS AccessForAll specification provides a…

  • e-learning accessibility
  • metadata
  • learning objects
  • multimedia accessibility
  • authoring tools
  • SCORM
  • content alternatives

• 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

• Opening up access to online documents using essentiality tracks

  Matthew T. Atkinson, Jatinder Dhiensa, Colin H. C. Machin (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Loughborough University presents extensions to the "essentiality and proficiency" approach for improving document accessibility and usability. The core concept is that web page content has varying levels of importance for different us…

  • document accessibility
  • content filtering
  • XML
  • universal design
  • information overload
  • assistive technology

• 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

• Iconic Communication System by XML Language: (SCILX)

  Nathalie Cindy Kuicheu, Laure Pauline Fotso, François Siewe (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon) and De Montfort University (UK) presents SCILX, an XML-based iconic communication system that extends traditional iconic interfaces to enable communication through the Internet. Previous iconic s…

  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • iconic communication
  • XML
  • literacy
  • digital divide
  • Global Accessibility
  • healthcare accessibility
  • communication accessibility
  • developing countries