Literature Reviews

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

• A4U - An Approach to Evaluation Considering Accessibility and Usability Guidelines

  Leandro Agostini do Amaral, Renata Pontin de Mattos Fortes, Thiago Jabur Bittar (2018) — Proceedings of the 24th Brazilian Symposium on Multimedia and the Web (WebMedia 2018)

  This short paper presents A4U (Ambiente de Analise de Avaliacoes de Acessibilidade e Usabilidade), a web-based environment that integrates accessibility and usability evaluation into a single workflow. The authors argue that the relationship between …

  • accessibility testing
  • usability testing
  • integrated evaluation
  • WCAG
  • HHS guidelines
  • web evaluation tools
  • semi-automatic testing

• 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

• 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

• Web Accessibility Highlights and Trends

  Judy Brewer (2004) — Proceedings of the 2004 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by Judy Brewer, Director of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, this paper provides an authoritative overview of the state of web accessibility standards and their implementation as of 2004. Brewer describes the three complementary WAI guid…

  • WCAG
  • WAI
  • W3C
  • standards harmonization
  • accessibility policy
  • accessibility evaluation
  • authoring tools
  • browser accessibility
  • accessibility guidelines

• Forcing Standardization or Accommodating Diversity? A Framework for Applying the WCAG in the Real World

  Brian Kelly, David Sloan, Lawrie Phipps, Helen Petrie, Fraser Hamilton (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper critically examines how the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 1.0) were being applied in practice six years after their publication, arguing that rigid, context-free application of WCAG was creating serious problems for web de…

  • web accessibility
  • WCAG
  • accessibility policy
  • accessibility guidelines
  • holistic accessibility
  • user evaluation
  • automated testing
  • accessibility legislation

• Contextual Web Accessibility - Maximizing the Benefit of Accessibility Guidelines

  David Sloan, Andy Heath, Fraser Hamilton, Brian Kelly, Helen Petrie, Lawrie Phipps (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This influential paper challenges the prevailing approach to web accessibility that treats WCAG conformance as the sole measure of success. The authors argue that while guidelines like WCAG are valuable tools, the persistently low levels of web acces…

  • accessibility policy
  • WCAG
  • contextual design
  • e-learning accessibility
  • inclusive design
  • accessibility frameworks
  • metadata
  • personalization
  • social inclusion

• Interdependent Components of Web Accessibility

  Wendy A. Chisholm, Shawn Lawton Henry (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by two key members of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), this paper provides the definitive explanation of how web accessibility depends on multiple interdependent components working together — a systems view that was often overlooke…

  • web accessibility
  • WAI
  • WCAG
  • ATAG
  • UAAG
  • accessibility standards
  • authoring tools
  • user agents
  • assistive technology
  • systems thinking

• Essential Components of Mobile Web Accessibility

  Shadi Abou-Zahra, Judy Brewer, Shawn Lawton Henry (2013) — Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by three leaders of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, this paper examines how the shift from desktop to mobile and ubiquitous computing affects the interdependent components that together enable web accessibility. The authors outline eigh…

  • mobile accessibility
  • web standards
  • WCAG
  • WAI-ARIA
  • W3C
  • universal design
  • assistive technology
  • HTML5
  • user agents

• How to Develop Accessible Web Interfaces for Deaf People?

  Gênesis Medeiros do Carmo, Débora Maria Barroso Paiva, Maria Istela Cagnin (2019) — Proceedings of the 18th Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC)

  This paper presents a systematic mapping study examining how web interfaces are being designed and implemented for deaf and hard of hearing users. The authors searched six databases and 17 conferences from 2005-2018, screening 469 publications to sel…

  • deaf accessibility
  • hard of hearing
  • web accessibility
  • systematic mapping
  • sign language
  • captioning
  • WCAG
  • web development

• A4TV: Assessing and Ameliorating the Accessibility of the Ascending Connected TV Platforms

  Daniel Costa (2015) — Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a two-stage research programme to study and improve the accessibility of connected TV platforms for visually impaired users. Connected TVs — smart TVs and set-top boxes with internet connectivity — use web tech…

  • connected TV
  • blindness
  • visual impairment
  • accessibility evaluation
  • multimodal interaction
  • WAI-ARIA
  • WCAG
  • mobile accessibility
  • second screen
  • audio description
  • automated testing