Literature Reviews

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

• Tactile Imaging Using Watershed-Based Image Segmentation

  Sergio E. Hernandez, Kenneth E. Barner (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Delaware proposes a new image segmentation method for automatically converting visual images into tactile representations suitable for display on tactile devices such as microcapsule (swell) paper. The core problem a…

  • tactile graphics
  • image processing
  • blindness and low vision
  • image accessibility
  • computer vision
  • non-visual access
  • accessible graphics

• Constructing Sonified Haptic Line Graphs for the Blind Student: First Steps

  Rameshsharma Ramloll, Wai Yu, Stephen Brewster, Beate Riedel, Mike Burton, Gisela Dimigen (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents early research from the University of Glasgow's MultiVis project, a three-year initiative investigating how different sensory modalities can make statistical information representations accessible to blind people. The focus is on …

  • data visualization
  • sonification
  • haptic technology
  • blindness and low vision
  • tactile graphics
  • force feedback
  • education
  • spatial audio
  • multimodal
  • STEM accessibility

• Improving the Usability of Speech-Based Interfaces for Blind Users

  Ian J. Pitt, Alistair D. N. Edwards (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper from the University of York examines the usability problems inherent in speech-based interfaces for blind computer users and presents a study comparing how blind and sighted subjects process information delivered through synthetic speech. …

  • blindness and low vision
  • screen reader
  • speech synthesis
  • usability
  • speech dialogue design
  • text-to-speech
  • auditory interface
  • prosody
  • cognitive load

• Emacspeak — Direct Speech Access

  T. V. Raman (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper by T. V. Raman (then at Adobe Systems, developed while at Digital Equipment Corporation's Cambridge Research Lab) presents Emacspeak, a speech output subsystem for Emacs that provides what the author terms "direct speech access" to UNIX wo…

  • screen reader
  • speech output
  • blindness and low vision
  • UNIX accessibility
  • text-to-speech
  • Emacs
  • Linux accessibility
  • open source
  • software accessibility

• Development of Dialogue Systems for a Mobility Aid for Blind People: Initial Design and Usability Testing

  Thomas Strothotte, Steffi Fritz, Rainer Michel, Andreas Raab, Helen Petrie, Valerie Johnson, Lars Reichert, Axel Schalt (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper presents the MoBIC Travel Aid (MoTA), an EU-funded system designed to increase independent mobility for blind and elderly travellers by combining Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with the Global Positioning System (GPS). The system has…

  • blindness and low vision
  • navigation
  • GPS
  • GIS
  • orientation and mobility
  • wayfinding
  • route planning
  • electronic travel aid
  • user-centered design

• Interactive Tactile Display System: A Support System for the Visually Disabled to Recognize 3D Objects

  Yoshihiro Kawai, Fumiaki Tomita (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper from the Electrotechnical Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan describes an interactive tactile display system that combines stereo computer vision with a pin-based tactile display and voice synthesis to help blind users recognize three-dimensiona…

  • blindness and low vision
  • tactile display
  • stereo vision
  • computer vision
  • 3D object recognition
  • haptic technology
  • assistive technology
  • refreshable display

• TDraw: A Computer-Based Tactile Drawing Tool for Blind People

  Martin Kurze (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper from Freie Universität Berlin presents TDraw, a computer-based system that enables blind people to create tactile drawings and, equally importantly, allows researchers to study how blind people draw. The paper begins with a theoretical ana…

  • blindness and low vision
  • tactile graphics
  • tactile drawing
  • mental model
  • spatial cognition
  • tactile rendering
  • swell paper
  • accessible graphics

• AudioGraf: A Diagram-Reader for the Blind

  Andrea R. Kennel (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This paper from ETH Zürich presents AudioGraf, a system that enables blind and visually impaired users to read diagrams through a combination of touch panel input and auditory display. The core problem addressed is that diagrams — widely used in tech…

  • blindness and low vision
  • auditory display
  • tactile graphics
  • diagram accessibility
  • non-visual access
  • touch panel
  • sonification
  • audio-tactile

• Supporting Spatial Awareness and Independent Wayfinding for Pedestrians with Visual Impairments

  Rayoung Yang, Sangmi Park, Sonali R. Mishra, Zhenan Hong, Clint Newsom, Hyeon Joo, Erik Hofer, Mark W. Newman (2011) — The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents Talking Points 3 (TP3), a location- and orientation-aware smartphone system designed to increase the "legibility" of indoor environments for pedestrians with visual impairments, fostering spatial awareness rather than simply provi…

  • blindness and low vision
  • wayfinding
  • indoor navigation
  • spatial cognition
  • mobile accessibility
  • independent living
  • navigation
  • situation awareness

• Blind People and Mobile Touch-based Text-Entry: Acknowledging the Need for Different Flavors

  João Oliveira, Tiago Guerreiro, Hugo Nicolau, Joaquim Jorge, Daniel Gonçalves (2011) — The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper investigates how individual differences among blind people affect their performance with different touchscreen text-entry methods. Thirteen blind participants (ages 24-62) were evaluated using four methods on a Samsung Galaxy S: QWERTY (st…

  • blindness and low vision
  • text entry
  • touchscreen accessibility
  • mobile accessibility
  • ability-based design
  • personalization
  • braille
  • input methods