Literature Reviews

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

• MokE: A Tool for Mobile-ok Evaluation of Web Content

  John Garofalakis, Vassilios Stefanis (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents MokE (Mobile-OK Evaluator), a web-based tool for evaluating whether web content provides an acceptable experience on mobile devices, based on W3C's mobileOK Basic Tests and Mobile Web Best Practices. Written at a time when mobile …

  • mobile accessibility
  • mobile web
  • automated testing
  • web crawling
  • W3C standards
  • evaluation tools
  • hidden web

• A Web Design Framework for Improved Accessibility for People with Disabilities (WDFAD)

  Rehema Baguma, Jude T. Lubega (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Makerere University in Uganda proposes WDFAD (Web Design Framework for Improved Accessibility for People with Disabilities), a developer-oriented framework that repackages web accessibility requirements according to the three componen…

  • web accessibility
  • accessibility framework
  • blind users
  • screen readers
  • web design
  • developer tools
  • non-functional requirements
  • Uganda
  • Global South accessibility

• WCAG 2.0: A Web Accessibility Standard for the Evolving Web

  Loretta Guarino Reid, Andi Snow-Weaver (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by two members of the WCAG working group (from Google and IBM respectively), this paper explains the major design challenges faced in developing WCAG 2.0 and the strategies adopted to address them. WCAG 1.0, finalized in 1999, was designed fo…

  • WCAG
  • web standards
  • accessibility guidelines
  • WAI
  • ARIA
  • accessibility policy
  • conformance
  • technology neutrality

• E-learning 2.0: You Are We-LCoME!

  Stefano Ferretti, Silvia Mirri, Ludovico Antonio Muratori, Marco Roccetti, Paola Salomoni (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents We-LCoME (Wiki e-Learning Compound Multimedia Environment), a collaborative platform for creating and enriching accessible multimedia e-learning resources. Built on top of DokuWiki, the system allows a community of "prosumers" — l…

  • e-learning
  • multimedia accessibility
  • collaborative authoring
  • Web 2.0
  • SMIL
  • content adaptation
  • captions
  • learning objects
  • wiki
  • ATAG

• An Accessibility Evaluation Platform: Borrowing from Web 2.0

  Yui-Liang Chen, Gina Lin (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper proposes a community-driven Accessibility Evaluation Platform for Taiwan, drawing on Web 2.0 principles to supplement the government-led accessibility compliance program administered by the Research, Development & Evaluation Commission (RD…

  • accessibility evaluation
  • web 2.0
  • crowdsourcing
  • community review
  • Taiwan
  • government accessibility
  • social learning
  • accessibility policy

• Co-design of Robotic Technology with Care Home Residents and Care Workers

  Helena Anna Frijns, Ralf Vetter, Matthias Hirschmanner, Reinhard Grabler, Laura Vogel, Sabine Theresia Koeszegi (2024) — Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (PETRA)

  This paper documents a co-design workshop series conducted at two care homes in Austria, involving 25 participants: 13 care workers (mean age 43.5) and 12 care home residents (mean age 80.6). The research question was whether introducing technology c…

  • co-design
  • participatory design
  • older adults
  • care homes
  • robotics
  • assistive robotics
  • human-robot interaction
  • conversational AI
  • computer vision
  • aging

• A Survey on the Accessibility Awareness of People Involved in Web Development Projects in Brazil

  Andre P. Freire, Cibele M. Russo, Renata P. M. Fortes (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents one of the largest surveys of its time examining how people involved in web development projects in Brazil perceive and address accessibility. The researchers conducted an exploratory study using a web-based questionnaire distribu…

  • web accessibility
  • survey research
  • developer awareness
  • accessibility education
  • accessibility legislation
  • Brazil
  • WCAG knowledge
  • assistive technology awareness

• The User Experience: Designs and Adaptations

  Vicki L. Hanson (2004) — Proceedings of the 2004 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This keynote-style paper from IBM's Watson Research Center by Vicki Hanson argues that web accessibility standards and guidelines, while necessary, do not guarantee a usable or satisfying experience for people with disabilities. The paper distinguish…

  • low vision
  • aging
  • cognitive accessibility
  • user experience
  • personalization
  • text-to-speech
  • page adaptation
  • web design
  • usability
  • color contrast
  • visual crowding
  • content reflow

• One World, One Web ... But Great Diversity

  Brian Kelly, Liddy Nevile, EA Draffan, Sotiris Fanou (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This provocative paper challenges the dominant WAI/WCAG-centric model of web accessibility, arguing that its narrow focus on guideline conformance of individual digital resources fails to account for the diversity of user needs, contexts of use, and …

  • WCAG
  • accessibility policy
  • social model of disability
  • learning disabilities
  • Web 2.0
  • personalized accessibility
  • accessibility metadata
  • inclusive design
  • e-learning
  • holistic accessibility

• More than Meets the Eye: A Survey of Screen-Reader Browsing Strategies

  Yevgen Borodin, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Glenn Dausch, I. V. Ramakrishnan (2010) — Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This comprehensive survey catalogues the browsing strategies that experienced screen reader users develop to overcome the accessibility and usability barriers they encounter on the web. Drawing from multiple user studies, the authors document how bli…

  • screen readers
  • blindness
  • browsing strategies
  • web navigation
  • usability
  • keyboard navigation
  • dynamic content
  • ARIA live regions
  • user research
  • assistive technology