Literature Reviews

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

• A Usability Evaluation of Two Virtual Aids to Enhance Cursor Accessibility for People with Motor Impairments

  J. Eduardo Pérez, Xabier Valencia, Myriam Arrue, Julio Abascal (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the University of the Basque Country presents and evaluates two virtual cursor enhancements designed to help people with motor impairments perform pointing and clicking tasks during web browsing. The "circular cursor" creates a transl…

  • motor accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • input devices
  • pointing devices
  • web accessibility
  • usability testing
  • cursor enhancement

• Towards the Prediction of Dyslexia by a Web-based Game with Musical Elements

  Maria Rauschenberger, Luz Rello, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Emilia Gomez, Jeffrey P. Bigham (2017) — Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents DysMusic, a web-based serious game prototype that aims to predict the risk of dyslexia in pre-reading children using musical elements rather than linguistic tasks. Current dyslexia screening tools rely on reading and writing abili…

  • dyslexia
  • screening
  • serious games
  • gamification
  • music
  • auditory perception
  • pre-readers
  • children
  • phonological awareness
  • web-based assessment
  • usability testing
  • language independence
  • early detection
  • learning disabilities

• Exploring the Role of Tunnel Vision Simulation in the Design Cycle of Accessible Interfaces

  Rie Kamikubo, Keita Higuchi, Ryo Yonetani, Hideki Koike, Yoichi Sato (2018) — Proceedings of the 15th International Web for All Conference (W4A 2018)

  This paper investigates whether gaze-contingent tunnel vision simulation can serve as a reliable tool within the design cycle for accessible web interfaces, enabling sighted developers to experience and evaluate prototypes under simulated visual fiel…

  • low vision
  • tunnel vision
  • retinitis pigmentosa
  • simulation
  • eye tracking
  • accessible design
  • design methodology
  • usability testing
  • web accessibility
  • visual field loss

• An Easy to Use Data Logger for Local User Studies

  Vagner Figueredo de Santana, Felipe Eduardo Ferreira Silva (2019) — Proceedings of the 16th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper introduces User Test Logger, an open-source Firefox browser add-on designed to capture detailed user interaction data during local usability and accessibility studies. The authors identify a gap in available tooling: existing…

  • usability testing
  • accessibility evaluation
  • interaction logging
  • data collection
  • open source tools
  • user studies
  • web accessibility

• The Compliance Mindset: Exploring Accessibility Adoption in Client-Based Settings

  Emma L. Holliday (2020) — Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This short paper investigates how web accessibility is adopted in client-based settings such as consultancies and freelance work, where practitioners must navigate the tension between their own accessibility knowledge and client priorities. The study…

  • web accessibility
  • organizational accessibility
  • compliance
  • WCAG
  • automated testing
  • usability testing
  • accessibility culture
  • design methodology

• The Reliability of Fitts's Law as a Movement Model for People with and without Limited Fine Motor Function

  Ather Sharif, Victoria Pao, Katharina Reinecke, Jacob O. Wobbrock (2020) — Proceedings of the 22nd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2020)

  This paper investigates a foundational assumption in HCI and assistive technology research: that Fitts's law reliably measures pointing performance. Fitts's law, introduced in 1954, models the relationship between the time to complete a pointing move…

  • motor accessibility
  • input methods
  • research methods
  • pointing devices
  • assistive technology
  • usability testing
  • HCI

• Challenges and Opportunities in Creating an Accessible Web Application for Learning Organic Chemistry

  Allyson Grace Yu (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper investigates the accessibility challenges of creating web-based educational tools for organic chemistry, a STEM subject that relies heavily on visual 2D and 3D molecular representations. The author notes that while 19.8% of undergraduate s…

  • STEM accessibility
  • STEM education
  • web accessibility
  • organic chemistry
  • keyboard accessibility
  • usability testing
  • accessibility audit
  • device-dependent event handlers
  • 3D interaction

• Investigating Sign Language Interpreter Rendering and Guiding Methods in Virtual Reality 360-Degree Content

  Craig Anderton (2022) — Proceedings of the 24th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '22)

  This paper explores how sign language interpretation can be effectively presented in virtual reality 360-degree (VR360) three-degrees-of-freedom video content. The research addresses a significant gap: while VR accessibility guidelines exist for subt…

  • sign language
  • virtual reality
  • extended reality
  • 360-degree video
  • deaf accessibility
  • immersive media
  • user experience
  • usability testing

• Adapting UX Research for People Living with Alzheimer's, Dementia, and MCI: Improving the UX Research Process for Participants

  Krista D. Kleban (2024) — Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2024)

  This practitioner-focused paper shares first-hand lessons from conducting UX research with people living with Alzheimer's disease, other forms of dementia, and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The author, a UX researcher at the Alzheimer's Associatio…

  • cognitive accessibility
  • dementia
  • Alzheimer's
  • UX research
  • usability testing
  • inclusive research methods
  • participatory design
  • mild cognitive impairment