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• The False Dichotomy between Accessibility and Usability

  Ed H. Chi · 2013 · Proceedings of the 10th International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This keynote paper by Ed H. Chi of Google argues that the traditional separation between accessibility research and usability/HCI research is a false dichotomy built on two myths. The first myth is the "average user" — HCI research inherited this concept from psychology,…

  usability · accessibility theory · universal design · inclusive design · human-computer interaction

• Crowd Caption Correction (CCC)

  Rebecca Perkins Harrington, Gregg C. Vanderheiden · 2013 · Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '13)

  This short paper presents Crowd Caption Correction (CCC), a feature that allows meeting participants or authorized third parties to correct errors in real-time captions during telecollaboration sessions. Captions are critical for deaf and hard of hearing people to participate in…

  captioning · deaf and hard of hearing · crowdsourcing · telecollaboration · real-time captioning

• Web accessibility and people with dyslexia: a survey on techniques and guidelines

  Vagner Figueredo de Santana, Rosimeire de Oliveira, Leonelo Dell Anhol Almeida, Maria Cecília Calani Baranauskas · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents a comprehensive survey of the state of the art on dyslexia and web accessibility, synthesising findings from academic research, dyslexia organisations (particularly the British Dyslexia Association), and practitioner guidance into a consolidated set of 41…

  dyslexia · cognitive accessibility · web accessibility guidelines · readability · inclusive design

• Towards Ubiquitous Accessibility: Capability-based Profiles and Adaptations, Delivered via the Semantic Web

  Matthew Tylee Atkinson, Matthew J. Bell, Colin H. C. Machin · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Loughborough University proposes using semantic web technologies (RDF and OWL) to deliver capability-based user profiles and adaptive accessibility solutions across devices and platforms. The authors argue that the current assistive technology landscape is…

  adaptive interfaces · personalization · semantic web · user modeling · assistive technology

• Universal and Ubiquitous Web Access with Capti

  Yevgen Borodin, Andrii Sovyak, Alexander Dimitriyadi, Yury Puzis, Valentyn Melnyk, Faisal Ahmed, Glenn Dausch, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2012 · Proceedings of the International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This demo paper presents Capti, a cross-platform web browsing application designed to make web access more usable for both blind and sighted users. Capti addresses two interconnected problems: the inefficiency of traditional screen readers for finding and consuming web content,…

  screen readers · assistive technology · blind and low vision · text-to-speech · universal design

• EZ Ballot with Multimodal Inputs and Outputs

  Seunghyun Lee, Xiao Xiong, Liu Elaine Yilin, Jon Sanford · 2012 · Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This demonstration paper presents the EZ Ballot, a prototype accessible voting system that fundamentally reconceptualizes ballot design to provide an equal voting experience for all voters regardless of ability. Current accessible voting machines add accessibility features on…

  accessible voting · multimodal interface · cognitive accessibility · visual impairment · dexterity

• Ability-Based Design: Concept, Principles and Examples

  Jacob O. Wobbrock, Shaun K. Kane, Krzysztof Z. Gajos, Susumu Harada, Jon Froehlich · 2011 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This foundational paper introduces ability-based design as a paradigm shift in accessible computing—moving focus from what users cannot do (disability) to what they can do (ability). The authors argue that traditional approaches like assistive technology place the burden of…

  ability-based design · universal design · inclusive design · adaptive interfaces · motor impairment

• A Simple Solution: Solution Migration from Disabled to Small Device Context

  Yeliz Yesilada, Tianyi Chen, Simon Harper · 2010 · Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper demonstrates how accessibility solutions developed for motor-impaired desktop users can be migrated to benefit small-device (mobile) users who experience similar input difficulties. The authors had previously replicated a study originally investigating input…

  motor accessibility · mobile accessibility · input methods · situational impairment · error correction

• Exploring Web Accessibility Solutions in Developing Regions as Innovations for the Benefit of All

  Shadi Abou-Zahra, Shawn Lawton Henry · 2010 · Proceedings of the 2010 International Cross Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  Written by two leaders of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, this paper explores the particular web accessibility challenges facing people with disabilities in developing regions and argues that solving these challenges will drive innovations benefiting all web users. The…

  Global South accessibility · digital divide · universal design · digital inclusion · multilingual accessibility

• Universal Design of Auditory Graphs: A Comparison of Sonification Mappings for Visually Impaired and Sighted Listeners

  Bruce N. Walker, Lisa M. Mauney · 2010 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates whether auditory graphs—using sound to represent data for people who cannot see visual graphs—can be designed universally for both sighted and visually impaired users, or whether different sonification mappings are needed for different populations. Most…

  sonification · auditory display · data visualization · blind users · visual impairment

• Thailand's National Digital Divide Strategic Framework

  Proadpran Punyabukkana, Suchai Thanawastien, Ajin Jirachiefpattana · 2008 · Proceedings of the 2008 International Cross-Disciplinary Conference on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper presents Thailand's Digital Divide Strategic Framework (2008-2010), a national plan developed by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to address ICT accessibility for three target populations: the poor, people with disabilities, and senior…

  accessibility policy · digital divide · assistive technology · web accessibility · universal design

• Ubiquitous Accessibility, Common Technology Core, and Micro Assistive Technology: Commentary on "Computers and People with Disabilities"

  Gregg C. Vanderheiden · 2008 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This influential commentary reflects on the evolution of digital accessibility from 1992 to 2008 and proposes a vision for addressing emerging challenges. Vanderheiden, director of the Trace R&D Center, traces progress from an era when only Apple had built-in accessibility…

  ubiquitous accessibility · assistive technology · accessibility policy · digital divide · universal design

• Access and Empowerment: Commentary on "Computers and People with Disabilities"

  Richard E. Ladner · 2008 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  Richard Ladner offers an optimistic assessment of progress since Glinert and York's 1992 call-to-arms, emphasizing how market forces—not just legal mandates—have driven accessibility improvements. With 16% of the U.S. population disabled and 10% of the working population…

  universal design · ubiquitous computing · web accessibility · user empowerment · accessibility history

• Inspiring Blind High School Students to Pursue Computer Science with Instant Messaging Chatbots

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Maxwell B. Aller, Jeremy T. Brudvik, Jessica O. Leung, Lindsay A. Yazzolino, Richard E. Ladner · 2008 · Proceedings of the 39th SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE '08)

  This paper describes the design and delivery of a four-day computer science workshop for fifteen blind high school students at the National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam, where two hundred blind and low vision students explored disciplines often perceived as inaccessible to…

  accessible education · blind students · screen readers · computer science education · inclusive design

• Advanced Auditory Menus: Design and Evaluation of Auditory Scroll Bars

  Pavani Yalla, Bruce N. Walker · 2008 · Proceedings of the 10th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '08)

  This paper from the Sonification Lab at Georgia Institute of Technology investigates how to design auditory scrollbars — non-speech sound cues that convey contextual information (menu size, current position) while navigating auditory menus. Visual menus use scrollbars, icons,…

  auditory interface · auditory menu · sonification · non-speech sounds · universal design

• Opening up access to online documents using essentiality tracks

  Matthew T. Atkinson, Jatinder Dhiensa, Colin H. C. Machin · 2006 · Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This paper from Loughborough University presents extensions to the "essentiality and proficiency" approach for improving document accessibility and usability. The core concept is that web page content has varying levels of importance for different users, and authors can assign…

  document accessibility · content filtering · XML · universal design · information overload

• Web accessibility: is it just a "merry-go-round"?

  Donna Smillie · 2006 · Proceedings of the 2006 International Cross-Disciplinary Workshop on Web Accessibility (W4A)

  This position paper by Donna Smillie of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) examines the relationship between traditional web accessibility for people with disabilities and the emerging field of mobile web accessibility. Writing at a time when mobile web usage…

  mobile accessibility · web accessibility · universal design · usability · cross-device compatibility

• "Beyond Perceivability": Critical Requirements for Universal Design of Information

  Takashi Kato, Masahiro Hori · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper argues that accessibility discussions focus too narrowly on perceivability — making information visually, audibly, or tactilely available — while neglecting the equally critical requirement of cognitive understandability. The authors contend that information should…

  cognitive accessibility · cognitive usability · universal design · cognitive walkthrough · evaluation methods

• Are "Universal Design Resources" Designed for Designers?

  Young Sang Choi, Ji Soo Yi, Chris M. Law, Julie A. Jacko · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from Georgia Institute of Technology and UMBC investigates why universal design (UD) adoption in information and communication technology (ICT) remains slow, hypothesizing that the design resources meant to help designers create universally designed products are…

  universal design · design resources · heuristic evaluation · usability · ICT accessibility

• Usability and Accessibility Issues in the Localization of Assistive Technology

  Ira Jhangiani · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This doctoral consortium paper from Virginia Polytechnic Institute examines the usability and accessibility challenges that arise when assistive technology software designed in one country is localized for users with disabilities in another. The research evaluates a portable…

  assistive technology · localization · internationalization · usability · low vision

• An Extensible, Scalable Browser-Based Architecture for Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication and Collaboration Systems for Deaf and Hearing Individuals

  Jonathan Schull · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from Rochester Institute of Technology (home to the National Technical Institute of the Deaf) presents a browser-based communication platform designed to facilitate face-to-face conversation between deaf and hearing team members. Standard chat systems enforce a…

  deaf accessibility · CSCW · real-time text · collaboration · universal design

• The Impact of User Research on Product Design Case Study: Accessibility Ecosystem for Windows Vista

  Annuska Perkins, Tira Cohene · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper describes how user research conducted by Microsoft's Windows Accessible Technology Group shaped the accessibility features in Windows Vista. The research encompassed a wide range of users across major disability types (vision, dexterity, hearing, speech, cognitive),…

  accessibility · user research · operating system · universal design · usability

• Introduction to the Talking Points Project

  Scott Gifford, Jim Knox, Jonathan James, Atul Prakash · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper introduces the Talking Points project from the University of Michigan, a system that attaches digital information to physical places and objects using passive RFID tags, creating an accessible "augmented reality" for blind and visually impaired users. The motivation…

  visual impairment · RFID · wayfinding · location awareness · ubiquitous computing

• An Adaptive Technologies Course in a CS Curriculum

  Blaise W. Liffick · 2005 · Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This poster paper from Millersville University describes part two of an NSF-funded project to integrate assistive technology (AT) into an undergraduate computer science curriculum through an HCI approach. The author argues that computer professionals have expertise in developing…

  accessibility education · computer science curriculum · assistive technology · human-computer interaction · professional development

• Universal Designs versus Assistive Technologies: Research Agendas and Practical Applications

  Chris Law, Julie Jacko, Bill Peterson, Jim Tobias · 2005 · Proceedings of the 7th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '05)

  This panel paper frames the tensions between Universal Design (UD) and Assistive Technology (AT) approaches to making Information and Computing Technologies (ICT) accessible. The panel brought together perspectives from academia (Julie Jacko, Chris Law), government (Bill…

  universal design · assistive technology · accessibility policy · inclusive design · ICT accessibility