Literature Reviews

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

• The Accessibility Kit for SharePoint: A Community-Based Approach to Web Accessibility

  Robert B. Yonaitis, Dana Louise Simberkoff, Kurt A. Mueffelmann, Cynthia Shelly (2008) — Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper describes the Accessibility Kit for SharePoint (AKS), an open-source add-on developed by HiSoftware in collaboration with Microsoft to bring WCAG 1.0 AA conformance to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 (MOSS). SharePoint was at the t…

  • web accessibility
  • content management systems
  • organizational accessibility
  • WCAG compliance
  • open source
  • community
  • enterprise software
  • authoring tools

• Web 2.0: Hype or Happiness?

  Mary Zajicek (2007) — Proceedings of the 2007 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This keynote paper by Mary Zajicek of Oxford Brookes University takes a deliberately broad, holistic view of Web 2.0 accessibility, arguing that physical access to web content is only the starting point. Zajicek defines accessibility along three dime…

  • Web 2.0
  • digital inclusion
  • older adults
  • visual impairment
  • digital divide
  • social accessibility
  • community
  • developing world
  • deafblindness

• Understanding Web Accessibility and Its Drivers

  Yeliz Yesilada, Giorgio Brajnik, Markel Vigo, Simon Harper (2012) — Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This highly cited study surveyed over 300 people with an interest in web accessibility to investigate how the community defines accessibility, what motivates people to work on it, and which definitions are most widely accepted. The authors note that …

  • accessibility theory
  • accessibility definitions
  • user experience
  • usability
  • accessibility policy
  • community
  • standards
  • disability models

• Smarter Board: A Community-Oriented Communication Tool

  Mateus Molinaro, Sergio Borger, Carlos Cardonha, Diego Gallo, Ricardo Herrmann, Ademir Ferreira, Fernando Koch, Priscilla Avegliano, Kelly Shigeno (2013) — Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This demo paper from IBM Research Brazil presents the Smarter Board, a lightweight community-focused social network platform designed specifically for groups of people with disabilities. The system deliberately uses SMS text messages as its primary i…

  • social accessibility
  • community
  • digital inclusion
  • communication accessibility
  • SMS
  • low-technology
  • assistive technology
  • disability community

• A Return to Community: Flintstones or Jetsons?

  Vivienne Conway (2020) — Proceedings of the 17th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This keynote-style paper uses the cultural lens of two iconic 1960s cartoons — The Flintstones and The Jetsons — to reflect on how automation and technology are shaping the lives of people with disabilities. Dr. Conway, writing from Western Australia…

  • digital accessibility
  • automation
  • assistive technology
  • disability representation
  • home automation
  • algorithmic bias
  • community
  • Internet of Things