Literature Reviews

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

• Accessibility for the HTML5 <video> element

  Silvia Pfeiffer, Conrad Parker (2009) — Proceedings of the 2009 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibililty (W4A)

  This paper documents early efforts to standardize how subtitles, captions, and other accessibility data should be associated with the then-new HTML5 <video> element. Written in 2009 when Firefox, Opera, and Safari were just beginning to implement <vi…

  • video accessibility
  • HTML5
  • captioning
  • subtitles
  • web standards
  • timed text
  • open source
  • Ogg

• WAI-ARIA Live Regions and HTML5

  Peter Thiessen (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper examines the interoperability of WAI-ARIA live regions with HTML5 semantic elements, testing whether screen readers can correctly handle dynamic DOM updates when live region attributes are applied to new HTML5 elements like section, nav, a…

  • WAI-ARIA
  • HTML5
  • screen readers
  • dynamic content
  • AJAX
  • web standards
  • accessibility testing
  • blind and low vision

• How Cloud Computing Can Support On-Demand Assistive Services

  Davide Mulfari, Antonio Celesti, Antonio Puliafito, Massimo Villari (2013) — Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from the University of Messina investigates how cloud computing and virtualisation can provide on-demand assistive technology services for people with disabilities who need to use shared or public computers. The core problem is that when a…

  • cloud computing
  • assistive technology
  • virtual desktop
  • screen reader
  • screen magnifier
  • motor accessibility
  • HTML5
  • remote desktop

• Essential Components of Mobile Web Accessibility

  Shadi Abou-Zahra, Judy Brewer, Shawn Lawton Henry (2013) — Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by three leaders of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, this paper examines how the shift from desktop to mobile and ubiquitous computing affects the interdependent components that together enable web accessibility. The authors outline eigh…

  • mobile accessibility
  • web standards
  • WCAG
  • WAI-ARIA
  • W3C
  • universal design
  • assistive technology
  • HTML5
  • user agents

• HTML5 accessible video player: how and why

  Crista Earl, Elizabeth Neal (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) describes the development of a free, open source HTML5 video player designed to address the widespread accessibility barriers in online video playback interfaces. The authors identify four k…

  • video accessibility
  • media accessibility
  • HTML5
  • keyboard accessibility
  • low vision
  • screen reader accessibility
  • captions
  • audio description

• ChattyBooks and ChattyBook Service

  Masakazu Suzuki, Katsuhito Yamaguchi (2017) — Proceedings of the 14th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This demonstration paper presents ChattyBooks, a Windows application that converts STEM content in DAISY/accessible EPUB3 format into audio-embedded HTML5 with JavaScript, enabling playback in any web browser on any platform without requiring special…

  • STEM accessibility
  • DAISY
  • EPUB
  • MathML
  • mathematics accessibility
  • visual impairment
  • blindness
  • dyslexia
  • text-to-speech
  • OCR
  • accessible publishing
  • e-textbooks
  • HTML5
  • JavaScript
  • PDF accessibility
  • SVG
  • Japan
  • education accessibility