Literature Reviews

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

• Accommodating Color Blind Computer Users

  Luke Jefferson, Richard Harvey (2006) — Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from the University of East Anglia presents an algorithm for recoloring digital images and documents so that color information is preserved for color blind viewers, particularly dichromats (people missing one type of cone cell). The algori…

  • color vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • dichromacy
  • color remapping
  • color contrast
  • visual accessibility
  • image processing
  • optimization

• SmartColor: Disambiguation Framework for the Colorblind

  Ken Wakita, Kenta Shimamura (2005) — Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This paper presents SmartColor, a framework that automatically repaints coloured documents so that people with colour vision deficiencies can perceive the same colour effects — such as contrast, shared colour grouping, and distinguishability — that t…

  • color blindness
  • color accessibility
  • color contrast
  • data visualization
  • constraint systems
  • recoloring
  • visual accessibility

• Improving Calibration Time and Accuracy for Situation-Specific Models of Color Differentiation

  David R. Flatla, Carl Gutwin (2011) — The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2011)

  This paper presents ICD-2, a significantly improved situation-specific model of human color differentiation designed to make personalised color accessibility tools practical for real-world use. Color vision deficiencies (CVDs) affect people's ability…

  • color vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • color accessibility
  • calibration
  • color differentiation
  • recoloring
  • personalization
  • visual accessibility

• "So That's What You See": Building Understanding with Personalized Simulations of Colour Vision Deficiency

  David R. Flatla, Carl Gutwin (2012) — Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This paper presents a personalized colour vision deficiency (CVD) simulation method that shows people with normal colour vision what a specific individual with CVD actually sees, rather than relying on generic models. Existing simulation tools like V…

  • colour vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • simulation
  • personalization
  • anomalous trichromacy
  • dichromacy
  • empathy
  • colour perception
  • calibration
  • accessibility awareness

• Situation-Specific Models of Color Differentiation

  David R. Flatla, Carl Gutwin (2012) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces Situation-Specific Modeling (SSM), a fundamentally different approach to helping users with color vision deficiency (CVD) differentiate colors in digital interfaces. Traditional recoloring tools rely on theoretical models of dic…

  • color vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • recoloring
  • visualization
  • personalization
  • low vision
  • assistive technology

• ACE: A Colour Palette Design Tool for Balancing Aesthetics and Accessibility

  Garreth W. Tigwell, David R. Flatla, Neil D. Archibald (2017) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents ACE (Accessible Colour Evaluator), an online tool designed to help web developers and designers balance aesthetic preferences with accessibility requirements when choosing website color palettes. The research addresses a significa…

  • color accessibility
  • colour vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • web design
  • design tools
  • WCAG
  • contrast ratio
  • user-centered design
  • accessibility testing

• Real-Time Mobile Personalized Simulations of Impaired Colour Vision

  Rhouri MacAlpine, David R. Flatla (2016) — Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper extends personalized simulations of Impaired Colour Vision (ICV) to work in real time on mobile devices, enabling people with typical colour vision to see the world through the camera as someone with ICV would perceive it. At least 5% of t…

  • color vision deficiency
  • color blindness
  • visual impairment
  • mobile accessibility
  • simulation
  • color contrast
  • inclusive design
  • empathy tools

• Accessible Icon Design in Enterprise Applications

  Eric Stilan, Amy Chen, Lulit Bezuayehu (2011) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Oracle's design team presents case studies of designing accessible icons for enterprise software, focusing on the challenge of conveying complex meanings — conditional status, severity levels, data trends — within 16x16 pixel icons wi…

  • visual design
  • color contrast
  • color blindness
  • accessible design
  • user interface design
  • internationalization
  • WCAG compliance

• Accessible Map Visualization Prototype

  Tania Calle-Jimenez, Sergio Luján-Mora (2016) — Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from Ecuador's National Polytechnic School and the University of Alicante presents a prototype for making online geographic maps accessible to people with visual disabilities. The authors identify four key accessibility barriers in web-bas…

  • data visualization
  • visual impairment
  • color blindness
  • SVG
  • web accessibility
  • geographic information
  • keyboard accessibility
  • screen readers

• Demo: Expanding Blocks4All with Variables and Functions

  Jacqueline Shao Yi Ong, Nana Adwoa O. Amoah, Alison E. Garrett-Engele, Mariella Irene Page, Katherine R. McCarthy, Lauren R. Milne (2019) — Proceedings of the 21st International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2019)

  This demonstration paper describes extensions to Blocks4All, an accessible blocks-based programming environment (BBPE) for iPad designed to enable children with visual impairments to learn programming through touchscreen interaction with screen reade…

  • programming education
  • blind
  • low vision
  • visual impairment
  • screen readers
  • VoiceOver
  • STEM accessibility
  • blocks-based programming
  • motor impairment
  • color blindness
  • robotics
  • Switch Control