Literature Reviews

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

• Web Browser Accessibility Using Open Source Software

  Željko Obrenović, Jacco van Ossenbruggen (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents AMICO:WEB, a middleware infrastructure designed to integrate open source and free software components into mainstream web browsers to improve accessibility. The authors from CWI Amsterdam identify a core problem: while the open so…

  • open source
  • middleware
  • multimodal interaction
  • browser extensions
  • assistive technology
  • software integration

• Profiling Learners with Special Needs for Custom E-Learning Experiences, a Closed Case?

  Paola Salomoni, Silvia Mirri, Stefano Ferretti, Marco Roccetti (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Bologna tackles the problem of creating comprehensive learner profiles that capture both user accessibility needs and device capabilities — two dimensions that existing standards addressed separately but not together…

  • e-learning
  • user profiling
  • content adaptation
  • assistive technology
  • device capabilities
  • accessibility standards
  • learning objects
  • mobile accessibility

• More than Meets the Eye: A Survey of Screen-Reader Browsing Strategies

  Yevgen Borodin, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Glenn Dausch, I. V. Ramakrishnan (2010) — Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This comprehensive survey catalogues the browsing strategies that experienced screen reader users develop to overcome the accessibility and usability barriers they encounter on the web. Drawing from multiple user studies, the authors document how bli…

  • screen readers
  • blindness
  • browsing strategies
  • web navigation
  • usability
  • keyboard navigation
  • dynamic content
  • ARIA live regions
  • user research
  • assistive technology

• Evaluation of Assistive Technologies from the perspective of Usability, User Experience and Accessibility: a Systematic Mapping Study

  Tatiany Xavier de Godoi, Guilherme Corredato Guerino, Natasha Malveira C. Valentim (2021) — Proceedings of the XX Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC)

  This systematic mapping study (SMS) investigates how assistive technologies (ATs) are evaluated from the perspectives of usability, user experience (UX), and accessibility — three interrelated but distinct software quality factors. The authors search…

  • assistive technology
  • usability
  • user experience
  • accessibility evaluation
  • systematic review
  • research methodology
  • AT abandonment
  • evaluation instruments
  • quality assurance

• An Intuitive Accessible Web Automation User Interface

  Yury Puzis, Yevgen Borodin, Faisal Ahmed, I. V. Ramakrishnan (2012) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper proposes and evaluates an intuitive web automation interface designed specifically for blind screen reader users. The authors observe that while the visual web has become increasingly sophisticated, assistive technology has not kept pace —…

  • web automation
  • screen readers
  • blind users
  • form filling
  • user study
  • Wizard-of-Oz
  • non-visual interaction
  • assistive technology
  • task automation

• Platform-Independent Accessibility API: Accessible Document Object Model

  Andres Gonzalez, Loretta Guarino Reid (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper, authored by Adobe engineers, addresses a fundamental problem in cross-platform accessibility: application developers who want to support assistive technologies must implement separate integrations for each operating system's accessibility…

  • accessibility API
  • DOM
  • cross-platform accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • MSAA
  • screen readers
  • platform independence
  • accessibility architecture

• Dialog Generation for Voice Browsing

  Zan Sun, Amanda Stent, I. V. Ramakrishnan (2006) — Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A): Building the Mobile Web: Rediscovering Accessibility?

  This paper presents HearSay, a voice browser system developed at Stony Brook University that provides speech-driven web access for people with visual disabilities. Unlike conventional screen readers that force users to arrow through a linearized, sin…

  • voice browsing
  • screen readers
  • visual impairment
  • web page segmentation
  • content summarization
  • machine learning
  • VoiceXML
  • dialog systems
  • assistive technology

• 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

• Designing Learning Systems to Provide Accessible Services

  Pythagoras Karampiperis, Demetrios Sampson (2005) — Proceedings of the 2005 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper addresses the architectural design of web-based learning systems that can deliver accessible educational content to learners with diverse access needs. The authors identify a fundamental problem with how accessible e-learning was being app…

  • e-learning accessibility
  • learning management systems
  • accessible design
  • metadata
  • learning objects
  • assistive technology
  • user preferences

• Accessibility Challenges and Tool Features: An IBM Web Developer Perspective

  Shari Trewin, Brian Cragun, Cal Swart, Jonathan Brezin, John Richards (2010) — Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This highly cited (50 citations) survey of 49 IBM web developers explores the barriers they face in creating accessible rich internet applications and what features they value in accessibility testing tools. IBM mandates accessibility through Corpora…

  • developer awareness
  • accessibility testing
  • evaluation tools
  • software development
  • accessibility training
  • developer experience
  • WCAG compliance
  • assistive technology