Literature Reviews

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

• Using Think Aloud Protocol with Blind Users: A Case for Inclusive Usability Evaluation Methods

  Sambhavi Chandrashekar, Tony Stockman, Deborah Fels, Rachel Benedyk (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper examines whether the Think Aloud Protocol (TAP), one of the most widely used usability evaluation methods, can be effectively applied when testing with blind screen reader users. The study involved six vision-impaired students evaluating a…

  • usability testing
  • think aloud protocol
  • blind users
  • screen readers
  • research methods
  • inclusive design
  • cognitive load
  • user research

• Accessibility Evaluation based on Machine Learning Technique

  Daisuke Sato, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from IBM Tokyo Research Lab proposes using machine learning to evaluate the accessibility of presentation documents, addressing a gap where traditional rule-based checking tools are insufficient. The authors argue that presentation documen…

  • automated testing
  • machine learning
  • presentation accessibility
  • accessibility evaluation
  • support vector machine
  • visual features

• Improving Non-Visual Web Access Using Context

  Jalal Mahmud, Yevgen Borodin, Dipanjan Das, I.V. Ramakrishnan (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents CSurf, a context-directed non-visual web browsing system that significantly reduces browsing time for blind users by intelligently rearranging page content based on navigational context. The core insight is that when a sighted use…

  • screen readers
  • non-visual access
  • web navigation
  • context analysis
  • web page segmentation
  • content rearrangement
  • blind users
  • browsing efficiency

• Accessibility Now! Teaching Accessible Computing at the Introductory Level

  Brian J. Rosmaita (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper advocates for teaching accessibility as a core element of introductory computer science courses rather than relegating it to advanced electives. The author describes a web design course at Hamilton College built around an "Accessibility Fi…

  • accessibility education
  • pedagogy
  • web accessibility
  • service learning
  • disability studies
  • curriculum
  • computer science education

• DuckCall: Tackling the First Hundred Yards Problem

  Stephen Fickas, Craig Pataky, Zebin Chen (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper describes DuckCall, a TV-based reminder system designed to help people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) overcome the "first hundred yards problem" — the challenge of preparing for and getting to the first transit pick-up point for communi…

  • cognitive disabilities
  • traumatic brain injury
  • social isolation
  • community navigation
  • transportation access
  • reminder system
  • assistive technology
  • independent living
  • smart home

• Measuring Website Usability for Visually Impaired People - A Modified GOMS Analysis

  Henrik Tonn-Eichstädt (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper adapts the GOMS (Goals, Operators, Methods, Selection rules) model — a well-established HCI method for estimating task execution times — to measure website usability specifically for blind screen reader users. The author argues that access…

  • screen readers
  • usability
  • web accessibility
  • GOMS
  • braille
  • blind users
  • evaluation methods
  • navigation strategies
  • efficiency

• Analyzing Visual Layout for a Non-Visual Presentation-Document Interface

  Tatsuya Ishihara, Hironobu Takagi, Takashi Itoh, Chieko Asakawa (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from IBM Japan tackles a fundamental accessibility challenge: presentation documents (like PowerPoint slides) convey information primarily through visual layout, making them inherently difficult for blind screen reader users to understand.…

  • screen readers
  • presentation accessibility
  • diagram accessibility
  • visual layout analysis
  • metadata
  • non-visual access
  • document accessibility
  • alternative interface

• Picture Planner: A Cognitively Accessible Personal Activity Scheduling Application

  Thomas Keating (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents Picture Planner, an icon-driven personal activity scheduling application developed by Eugene Research Institute for individuals with cognitive disabilities. The application addresses a significant gap in accessible software: while…

  • cognitive accessibility
  • cognitive disabilities
  • intellectual disability
  • activities of daily living
  • self-management
  • icon-based interface
  • self-determination
  • life skills
  • visual prompts
  • scheduling

• The Personal Portable Profile Project

  Blaise W. Liffick, Gary Zoppetti, Shane Shearer (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the Personal Portable Profile (P3) system, a hardware and software solution designed to let users with disabilities carry their computer accessibility settings between machines. The core problem addressed is that operating system …

  • assistive technology
  • user profile
  • personalization
  • portable accessibility
  • operating system settings
  • USB device

• Universal Designs versus Assistive Technologies: Research Agendas and Practical Applications

  Chris Law, Julie Jacko, Bill Peterson, Jim Tobias (2005) — Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This panel paper frames the tensions between Universal Design (UD) and Assistive Technology (AT) approaches to making Information and Computing Technologies (ICT) accessible. The panel brought together perspectives from academia (Julie Jacko, Chris L…

  • universal design
  • assistive technology
  • accessibility policy
  • inclusive design
  • ICT accessibility
  • organizational accessibility