Literature Reviews

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

• WAI-ARIA Live Regions and HTML5

  Peter Thiessen (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper examines the interoperability of WAI-ARIA live regions with HTML5 semantic elements, testing whether screen readers can correctly handle dynamic DOM updates when live region attributes are applied to new HTML5 elements like section, nav, a…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • HTML5
  • screen readers
  • dynamic content
  • AJAX
  • web standards
  • accessibility testing
  • blind and low vision

• AJAX Time Machine

  Andy Brown, Simon Harper (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper proposes the AJAX Time Machine, a Google Chrome browser extension that records states of dynamically updating web page regions and allows users to step backwards and forwards through those states at their own pace. The authors argue that d…

  • AJAX
  • dynamic content
  • cognitive accessibility
  • aging
  • screen readers
  • browser extension
  • web accessibility
  • DOM manipulation

• Improving the Accessibility of Dynamic Web Content for Older Users

  Darren Lunn, Simon Harper (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents the SCWeb2 (Senior Citizens on the Web 2.0) Assistant Tool, a browser extension designed to help older users understand and interact with dynamic Web 2.0 content. The authors build on their previous research showing that older use…

  • aging
  • dynamic content
  • web accessibility
  • cognitive accessibility
  • AJAX
  • rich internet applications
  • user experience
  • browser extension

• The AccDC Enterprise API for Advanced UI Automation

  Bryan Garaventa (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This demo paper presents the AccDC Enterprise API, a JavaScript-based dynamic content management system designed to build Rich Internet Applications with automatic accessibility built in from the ground up. Created by Bryan Garaventa through WhatSock…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • JavaScript
  • rich internet applications
  • web accessibility
  • accessibility tools
  • dynamic content
  • screen readers
  • keyboard accessibility

• Evaluating the Accessibility of Rich Internet Applications

  Nádia Fernandes, Daniel Costa, Sergio Neves, Carlos Duarte, Luís Carriço (2012) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper addresses a critical gap in automated accessibility evaluation: most tools only assess the initial HTML served to the browser, missing the dynamically generated content that defines modern Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Web application…

  • automated testing
  • web accessibility
  • rich internet applications
  • AJAX
  • dynamic content
  • DOM manipulation
  • accessibility evaluation

• Enabling an Accessible Web 2.0

  Becky Gibson (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A 2007)

  This keynote paper from IBM's Becky Gibson examines the accessibility challenges created by the emergence of Web 2.0 and the technologies being developed to address them. Written at a pivotal moment in web history, the paper describes how the shift f…

  • ARIA
  • Web 2.0
  • JavaScript
  • DHTML
  • accessibility APIs
  • keyboard navigation
  • screen readers
  • toolkits
  • dynamic content

• Ajax Live Regions: Chat as a Case Example

  Peter Thiessen, Charles Chen (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents one of the earliest practical implementations of WAI-ARIA live regions, using an accessible Ajax chat application called Reef Chat as a proof of concept. The authors — Peter Thiessen from the University of Toronto's Adaptive Techn…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • ARIA live regions
  • AJAX
  • Web 2.0
  • screen readers
  • dynamic content
  • chat accessibility
  • assistive technology

• Accessibility of Emerging Rich Web Technologies: Web 2.0 and the Semantic Web

  Michael Cooper (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This keynote paper by Michael Cooper of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative examines the accessibility challenges and opportunities created by the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies in the mid-2000s. Cooper frames Web 2.0 as a paradigm shift characte…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • Web 2.0
  • Semantic Web
  • rich internet applications
  • web standards
  • assistive technology
  • accessibility API
  • dynamic content

• 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

• Audio Presentation of Auto-Suggest Lists

  Andy Brown, Caroline Jay, Simon Harper (2009) — Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper investigates how to make auto-suggest lists (ASLs) — the dropdown suggestions that appear as users type in search boxes and form fields — accessible through audio for visually impaired users. Part of the SASWAT (Structured Accessibility St…

  • visual impairment
  • screen readers
  • dynamic content
  • Web 2.0
  • auto-suggest
  • autocomplete
  • eye tracking
  • AJAX
  • ARIA live regions
  • non-visual interaction
  • audio interface