Literature Reviews

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

• Handsfree for Web: A Google Chrome extension to browse the web via voice commands

  Javier Pérez (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents Handsfree for Web, a free Google Chrome browser extension that enables users to browse the web entirely through voice commands. The tool addresses a fundamental accessibility barrier: nearly all websites require manu…

  • voice control
  • speech recognition
  • motor disability
  • browser extension
  • web accessibility
  • hands-free interaction
  • Chrome extension
  • Web Speech API
  • assistive technology

• Combining Semantic Tools for Automatic Evaluation of Alternative Texts

  Carlos Duarte, Carlos M. Duarte, Luís Carriço (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents SCREW v2, an updated algorithm for automatically assessing the quality of alternative texts for images on web pages from an accessibility perspective. The work is motivated by the EU Directive 2016/2102, which requires monitoring …

  • alternative text
  • automated accessibility testing
  • image accessibility
  • semantic analysis
  • computer vision
  • artificial intelligence
  • WCAG
  • web accessibility
  • accessibility evaluation
  • natural language processing

• Continuous Web Personalization using Selector-template Pairs

  Vagner Figueredo de Santana, M. Cecilia C. Baranauskas (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a continuous web personalization approach that automatically adjusts website user interfaces based on observed usage patterns to reduce accessibility barriers and usability problems. Built on the WELFIT (Web Event Logger and Flow …

  • web personalization
  • accessibility
  • usability
  • interaction logging
  • data mining
  • JavaScript
  • adaptive interface
  • automated evaluation
  • user experience
  • assistive technology

• Personalized and Accessible TV Interaction for People with Visual Impairments

  Daniel Costa, Carlos Duarte (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the design and implementation of a system that makes Connected TV applications accessible to people with visual impairments by using a smartphone as an accessible second-screen controller. Connected TVs and set-top boxes now offer…

  • visual impairment
  • connected TV
  • personalization
  • adaptive interface
  • multimodal interaction
  • speech synthesis
  • TalkBack
  • second screen
  • audio description
  • interaction logging

• Making Legacy Digital Content Accessible at Source

  Sankalan Pal Chowdhary, Dipendra Manocha, M. Balakrishnan, Akashdeep Bansal, Himanshu Garg (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents a toolset for converting legacy-encoded Devanagari text to Unicode within Adobe InDesign, addressing a significant accessibility barrier for Indian language content. Despite Unicode being published in 1991, vast amou…

  • Unicode
  • legacy encoding
  • accessible publishing
  • Devanagari
  • India
  • screen reader
  • digital inclusion
  • educational content
  • InDesign
  • EPUB

• Synesthesia Vision integration with Recife's Public Transport

  Aida A. Ferreira, Gilmar Brito, Lydia Nascimento da Silva, João Victor Mouzinho, Ryan Morais, Jonathan Romualdo Pereira (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents Synesthesia Vision, a two-component assistive technology system for blind people in Recife, Brazil, and its integration with the metropolitan public transport monitoring system. The system consists of sensory glasses…

  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • public transportation
  • smart city
  • obstacle detection
  • spatial audio
  • 3D audio
  • Internet of Things
  • wearable technology
  • navigation and wayfinding
  • Brazil
  • developing nations

• Automatic Identification of Widgets and their Subcomponents Based on a Classification Pipeline for DOM Mutation Records

  Eduardo Henrique Rizo, Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes, Humberto Lidio Antonelli, Willian Massami Watanabe (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a machine learning pipeline for automatically classifying web widgets (specifically dropdown menus) and their subcomponents by analyzing DOM mutation records — the dynamic changes that occur in a web page's HTML structure when use…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • machine learning
  • web accessibility
  • automated testing
  • widgets
  • DOM
  • rich internet applications
  • screen reader
  • accessibility evaluation
  • dropdown menu

• Designing Personalized Therapy Tools for People with Dementia

  Sérgio Alves, Filipa Brito, Andreia Cordeiro, Luís Carriço, Tiago Guerreiro (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the iterative design and clinical deployment of Scrapbook, a web platform that supports psychologists in conducting personalized reminiscence therapy and cognitive stimulation sessions for people with dementia using biographical m…

  • dementia
  • cognitive stimulation
  • reminiscence therapy
  • personalization
  • caregivers
  • aging
  • assistive technology
  • web platform
  • user-centered design
  • clinical deployment

• Web Development Training for Students That Are Blind

  Claire Ferrari (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper outlines a mixed-methods dissertation research plan for developing and evaluating a 10-day web development course specifically designed for students who are blind or have low vision. The author contextualizes the work w…

  • STEM accessibility
  • blindness
  • low vision
  • web development
  • coding education
  • accessible programming
  • self-efficacy
  • participatory design
  • vocational training
  • digital inclusion

• Feel-It: Personalized Audio-Tactile Web Browsing

  Anatoliy Borodin, Yevgen Borodin, Andrii Soviak, Vikas Ashok, Shirin Disfani, I. V. Ramakrishnan (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents Feel-It, a hardware-software system for audio-tactile web browsing that enables blind users to explore the two-dimensional spatial layout of web pages through touch. The core problem addressed is that screen readers …

  • blindness
  • haptic feedback
  • tactile display
  • web browsing
  • screen reader
  • assistive technology
  • personalization
  • computer vision
  • Braille
  • web segmentation