Literature Reviews

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

• Evaluation of Onscreen Precompensation Algorithms for Computer Users with Visual Aberrations

  Miguel Alonso, Armando Barreto, Julie A. Jacko, Malek Adjouadi (2007) — Proceedings of the 9th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '07)

  This paper from Florida International University and Georgia Institute of Technology presents the results of human subject testing of precompensation algorithms designed to improve onscreen image quality for computer users with visual aberrations. Th…

  • low vision
  • visual aberration
  • precompensation
  • image processing
  • deconvolution
  • keratoconus
  • myopia
  • astigmatism
  • GUI accessibility
  • icon recognition

• An Exploratory Investigation of Handheld Computer Interaction for Older Adults with Visual Impairments

  V. Kathlene Leonard, Julie A. Jacko, Joseph J. Pizzimenti (2005) — Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This study investigates factors affecting handheld computer interaction for older adults with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), extending prior desktop-focused HCI research to small-screen mobile devices. Thirteen participants with AMD and visu…

  • macular degeneration
  • older adults
  • handheld computers
  • mobile computing
  • visual impairment
  • auditory feedback
  • drag and drop
  • icon design
  • GUI accessibility

• Voice over Workplace (VoWP): Voice Navigation in a Complex Business GUI

  Frankie James, Jeff Roelands (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper explores the design of voice navigation interfaces for complex business GUIs, specifically SAP Workplace, to support physically disabled users who cannot use a mouse or keyboard. The authors conducted two user studies examining the fundame…

  • voice interface
  • speech recognition
  • physical disability
  • GUI accessibility
  • navigation
  • enterprise software
  • user study

• Low Vision: The Role of Visual Acuity in the Efficiency of Cursor Movement

  Julie A. Jacko, Armando B. Barreto, Gottlieb J. Marmet, Josey Y. M. Chu, Holly S. Bautsch, Ingrid U. Scott, Robert H. Rosa (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This study investigates how visual acuity affects cursor movement efficiency for users with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of visual impairment for Americans aged 75 and older. The researchers note that while existing acces…

  • low vision
  • age-related macular degeneration
  • cursor movement
  • graphical user interface
  • icon size
  • visual acuity
  • user research
  • target acquisition
  • GUI accessibility

• Touching and Hearing GUIs: Design Issues for the PC-Access System

  Christophe Ramstein, Odile Martial, Aude Dufresne, Michel Carignan, Patrick Chassé, Philippe Mabilleau (1996) — Proceedings of the Second Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '96)

  This 1996 paper from Canada's Centre for Information Technology Innovation presents PC-Access, a pioneering multimodal system that combines haptic (touch) and auditory feedback to make Microsoft Windows graphical user interfaces accessible to visuall…

  • haptic technology
  • force feedback
  • multimodal interface
  • GUI accessibility
  • blind users
  • sonification
  • haptic feedback
  • accessibility history
  • assistive technology

• A Tactile Windowing System for Blind Users

  Denise Prescher, Gerhard Weber, Martin Spindler (2010) — Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010)

  This paper from Technische Universität Dresden presents the Braille Window System (BWS), a windowing interface designed for a large planar tactile display — the BrailleDis9000, a touch-sensitive pin-matrix of 120 columns and 60 rows (7,200 pins). Sta…

  • braille
  • tactile display
  • tactile graphics
  • gesture interaction
  • blindness
  • screen reader
  • windowing system
  • GUI accessibility
  • pin-matrix display
  • multitouch

• Keeping Up with Technology: Commentary on "Computers and People with Disabilities"

  Alistair D. N. Edwards (2008) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This reflective commentary by Alistair Edwards examines what has—and crucially, what has not—changed in accessible computing since Glinert and York's influential 1992 paper. Edwards frames his analysis through a fashion-versus-style metaphor: while t…

  • accessibility history
  • screen readers
  • GUI accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • web accessibility
  • catch-up problem

• The Current Status of Accessibility in Mobile Apps

  Shunguo Yan, P. G. Ramachandran (2019) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This large-scale empirical study evaluated the accessibility of 479 Android apps from Google Play across 23 business categories using IBM Mobile Accessibility Checker (MAC), an automated tool that maps accessibility rules to GUI widget categories. Th…

  • mobile accessibility
  • Android
  • automated testing
  • accessibility evaluation
  • GUI accessibility
  • empirical study

• Tactile Accessibility: Does Anyone Need a Haptic Glove?

  Andrii Soviak, Anatoliy Borodin, Vikas Ashok, Yevgen Borodin, Yury Puzis, I.V. Ramakrishnan (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents FeelX, a low-cost haptic glove system designed to enable blind users to tactilely explore graphical user interfaces (GUIs) by moving their hands on any flat surface such as a desk or table. The fundamental problem addressed is tha…

  • blindness
  • haptic technology
  • tactile accessibility
  • screen reader
  • GUI accessibility
  • braille
  • assistive technology
  • wearable technology

• Providing access to graphical user interfaces — not graphical screens

  W. Keith Edwards, Elizabeth D. Mynatt, Kathryn Stockton (1994) — Proceedings of the First Annual ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '94)

  This paper argues that screen readers for graphical user interfaces should provide access to application interfaces at the semantic level rather than merely translating graphical screen contents. The authors from Georgia Tech's GVU Center identify th…

  • GUI accessibility
  • screen readers
  • accessibility API
  • blind and low vision
  • auditory interface
  • off-screen model
  • software architecture
  • X Window System