Conference Paper

Interpretation of web page layouts by blind users

Authors:
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

Digital libraries must support assistive technologies that allow people with disabilities such as blindness to use, navigate and understand their documents. Increasingly, many documents are Web-based and present their contents using complex layouts. However, approaches that translate two-dimensional layouts to one-dimensional speech produce a very different user experience and loss of information. To address this issue, we conducted a study of how blind people navigate and interpret layouts of news and shopping Web pages using current assistive technology. The study revealed that blind people do not parse Web pages fully during their first visit, and that they can miss important parts. The study also provided insights for improving assistive technologies.

No full-text available

Request Full-text Paper PDF

To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.

... Unfortunately, VI users encounter major challenges in SNS particularly Facebook [2], [3]. Facebook content designed in form of multi-column layout, which is also known as complex layout [4]- [6]. VI users utilize various types of navigation technique to scan the web content using the screen reader. ...
... 66-78 presents major challenges for VI users to comprehend the web content. This poses a major issue for VI users to obtain information [6], [20], [21]. There are substantial studies on the issues and impacts of web page layout but studies on VI users' navigation activities and the reason of facing web interpretation issues in complex layout remain limited [4], [6], [7], [20], [21]. ...
... This poses a major issue for VI users to obtain information [6], [20], [21]. There are substantial studies on the issues and impacts of web page layout but studies on VI users' navigation activities and the reason of facing web interpretation issues in complex layout remain limited [4], [6], [7], [20], [21]. ...
Article
Facebook is an important communication medium among all of us. While Facebook provides an effective way for people to communicate online, it also creates challenges for people with blindness. This causes frustration among visually impaired users who are not able to participate in web interaction. The content arrangement of the Facebook page is the main barrier for Visually Impaired users. Therefore, a detail study is needed to explore the interpretation issue in Facebook. This study aimed to examine visually impaired users’ navigation techniques and the reason of having interpretation issues in Facebook. For the comparison purpose, both observation and analysis were based on visually impaired users’ navigation activities in the desktop version (represents complex layout) and mobile version (represents non-complex layout) of Facebook. Cognitive Walkthrough (CW) and spectrum was used to observe and analyse visually impaired users’ navigation activities during experimental session. This study revealed that visually impaired users overcome their interpretation issues in complex layout by adapting multiple navigation techniques compare to non-complex layout. This study also discovered that information scent has influenced visually impaired users' navigation method. This become the main cause of web interpretation issues in Facebook since the content arrangement does not consistent with their navigation method.
... Initially, research in adaptive hypertext focused on responding to a user model that abstracted factors such as personal knowledge and preferences [5]. Later on, adaptive hypertext began considering multiple independent models of factors that were not 7 In a way, all spatial hypermedia is adaptable because the user can always manipulate and personalize the workspace internal properties of the user (e.g., task, and situation) [14]. Adaptive navigational hypertext modifies the content, links, and presentation of hypertexts using various methods and techniques [5]. ...
... However, adaptive spatial hypermedia presents interesting challenges because the modification of the presentation can lead to unintended modifications of implicit links [13]. Multi-model adaptive spatial hypermedia such as WARP provides mechanism for dealing with this level of complexity [14,15]. Project Breadcrumbs combines the contributions of adaptive spatial hypertext with content recommenders. ...
Article
Computational journalism allows journalists to collect large collections of information chunks from separate sources. The analysis of these collections can reveal hidden relationships between of relationships, but due to their size, diversity, and varying nuances it is necessary to use both computational and human analysis. Breadcrumbs PDL is an adaptive spatial hypermedia system that brings together human cognition and machine computation in order to analyze a collection of user-generated news clips. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of spatial hypermedia in the domain of computational journalism.
... The scant research on Web site complexity and VI user experience may be categorized under two broad contexts -Web navigation and online information retrieval. This body of literature identifies that banners, undescribed/unfamiliar content, multilayered navigation structures, tabular representations, visually-oriented navigation menus, improperly labelled navigation elements, unclear page layouts, and inconsistent navigation options as contributors to objective complexity in Web navigation (Vigo and Harper, 2014;Xie, et al., 2018;Leuthold, et al., 2008;Lazar, et al., 2007;Francisco-Revilla and Crow, 2010). Further, it identifies extraneous/redundant/voluminous/rich/dynamic/interactive content, advanced search features, and browse categories as contributors of objective complexity in online information retrieval (Bigham, et al., 2007;Borodin, et al., 2010;Xie, et al., 2020;Ramakrishnan, et al., 2017;Giraud, et al., 2018). ...
Article
Full-text available
The central premise of this research is the belief that using the Web non-visually is cognitively burdensome and tedious due to its complex, sight-centered design. There exists a literature gap on visually impaired (VI) users’ perceptions and experiences regarding Web site complexity. This paper reports the findings from a survey of 50 visually impaired individuals regarding perceived complexity and usability of a popular shopping Web site and its less complex version. Results show that significant gains in usability could be achieved by reducing complexity in Web design. A theoretical model of perceived complexity and associated propositions are presented to guide future research on improving the VI user experience of Web sites and Web applications.
... Sahib et al. (2012) discovered that VI users often exhaustively read the entire page content when reaching the search results page. While using exhaustive scanning, blind users may scan the content of a web page line by line using arrow keys (Takagi et al., 2007) or scan components of a webpage sequentially (Francisco-Revilla & Crow, 2010). Unlike exhaustive scanning, previous research found that blind users relied on probing (i.e., clicking a link and quickly returning to a page) more heavily than sighted users (Bigham, Cavender, Brudvik, Wobbrock, & Lander, 2007;Saqr, 2016). ...
Article
The authors conducted the first study to investigate the types of coping tactics that blind and visually impaired (BVI) users applied when they encountered difficulties interacting with digital libraries (DLs). Coping tactics are defined as diverse action choices used by BVI users to accomplish specific goals in response to different types of help-seeking situations. Sixty-four participants were recruited throughout the United States. Multiple data collection methods were employed to collect data: pre-questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and diaries. The study identified 19 types of coping tactics associated with the top five help-seeking situations. The findings were further compared with prior research to highlight the tactics previously identified from non-DL environments and unique coping tactics found only in the DL context. On the one hand, BVI participants brought their 11 types of coping tactics from non-DL environments into the DL context. Among them, Searching for keywords and Seeking human help are the coping tactics employed to address all of the top five situations in the DL environment. On the other hand, the combination of structural complexity, use of multimedia formats, and sight-centered designs found in DLs force BVI users to apply eight unique coping tactics in the DL context. The linear way of going through the DL structure led BVI users to explore DL page structure. At the same time, they had to Explore an accessible alternative to deal with inaccessible multimedia content. To support the coping tactics adopted from non-DL environments, the design suggestions focus on directly resolving situations, offering more options within DLs, and creating or enhancing features based on BVI users’ coping tactics. To support the unique coping tactics, the design implications concentrate on ways of reducing help-seeking situations.
... The experiment started by asking the participant to explore the experimental pages using JAWS screen-reader. There are altogether six experimental pages with different layout complexity used in the study as shown in Figure 3. Layout complexity was determined objectively, based on based on the previous studies [10] [11]. After exploring each page, the participants were asked to briefly describe the page. ...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
This article presents findings from a Content Analysis of verbal and audio protocol of Mental Model study. When using touch screen display with audio feedback, it was found that the users' mental model is in one dimensional as using screen-reader program. Previous experience using screen-reader program may affected the users' experience using a touch screen with audio feedback. In addition, investigation of blind users' spatial ability on users' performance was also conducted. This study revealed that there was a significant interaction effect between the user's spatial ability and the time taken to answer a question using touch display with audio feedback.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Perpustakaan perguruan tinggi merupakan organisasi yang memiliki peran penting dalam mengumpulkan dan menyebarkan informasi pendidikan, penelitian dan pengabdian masyarakat guna membantu perguruan tinggi mencapai tujuannya yaitu Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi. Perpustakaan digital (Digital Library) merupakan cara untuk membuat informasi tentang materi perkuliahan, referensi, dan penelitian tersedia untuk pengguna di seluruh dunia tanpa terhalang oleh ruang dan waktu. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk melakukan evaluasi perpustakaan digital perguruan tinggi dari komponen manusia, organisasi dan teknologi yang berdasarkan pada karakteristik perpustakaan digital dan mengetahui fasilitas perpustakaan digital yang sesuai dengan karakteristik perpustakaan digital, sehingga dapat mengetahui tingkat kesesuaian perpustakaan digital yang sudah dibuat dengan karakteristik perpustakaan digital. Metode utama yang digunakan adalah dengan melakukan observasi dan evaluasi menggunakan metode evaluasi HOT (Human-Organization-Technology) Fit Model terhadap 10 perpustakaan digital perguruan tinggi di dunia dan 10 perpustakaan digital perguruan tinggi di Indonesia dan melihat kesesuaiannya dengan karakteristik perpustakaan digital. Hasil yang dicapai dalam penelitian ini adalah desain dan implementasi perpustakaan digital untuk perguruan tinggi yang dibangun sudah sesuai dengan karakteristik perpustakaan digital.
Article
Blind and visually impaired (BVI) users experience vulnerabilities in digital library (DL) environments largely due to limitations in DL design that prevent them from effectively interacting with DL content and features. Existing research has not adequately examined how BVI users interact with DLs, nor the typical problems encountered during interactions. This is the first study conducted to test whether implementing help features corresponding to BVI users’ needs can reduce five critical help-seeking situations they typically encounter, with the goal to further enhance usability of DLs. Multiple data collection methods including pre-questionnaires, think-aloud protocols, transaction logs, and pre and post search interviews, were employed in an experimental design. Forty subjects were divided into two groups with similar demographic data based on data generated from pre-questionnaires. The findings of this study show that the experimental group encountered fewer number of help-seeking situations than the control group when interacting with the experimental and baseline versions of a DL. Moreover, the experimental group outperformed the control group on perceived usefulness of the DL features, ease of use of the DL, and DL satisfaction. This study provides theoretical and practical contributions to the field of library and information science. Theoretically, this study frames vulnerabilities of BVI users within the social model of disability in which improper DL design impairs their ability to effectively access and use DLs. Practically, this study takes into account BVI users’ critical help-seeking situations and further translates these into the design of help features to improve the usability of DLs.
Conference Paper
Visually Impaired (VI) users easily get frustrated when they fail to perform their task during their navigation activities. This paper analyzed their emotional changes during their navigation activities in complex and non-complex layout. This paper emphasis Neuro-Physiological Signal as method of emotion detection in complex and non-complex layout. The results of this study show that VI users' feel more frustrated in complex layout compared to non-complex layout.
Conference Paper
Visually Impaired (VI) users who assist by screen reader use various navigation techniques during their web navigation activities. This paper analyzed the usage of various navigation techniques in complex and non-complex layout. This study also examines the navigation behavior of VI users based on navigation techniques employed by VI users. This paper emphases on method called Spectrum which used to represent their navigation techniques in complex and non-complex layout. This effort provided a new frontier in analysing qualitative data in more efficiently. This study proven that VI users’ navigation techniques in complex layout is differ from non-complex layout and it strongly influenced by information scent.
Conference Paper
The growing demand of interactive Digital TeleVision (iDTV) is huge, given its potential ability to provide highly personalized services and to access the Web. However these advantages can be missed by difficulties of using it, especially accessibility barriers. This paper analyses interactive digital TV accessibility in a technical level, considering web accessibility context. In addition, it identifies sources of good practices and lessons learned that can improve the accessibility of the applications for the iDTV.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Millions of visually impaired people cannot enjoy the convenience brought by e-commerce due to the inaccessibility and complexity of existing online shopping websites. The user experience of online shopping website for visually impaired people needs to be improved. This study aims at designing a clothing shopping guide website for visually impaired people in support of choosing satisfying garment conveniently and efficiently. We designed and completed a prototype, and then a test and an interview were conducted to summarize requirements in operation and content for online clothes shopping of visually impaired users, and put forward improvements of our prototype.
Conference Paper
The accessibility of modern Web 2.0 applications for people with disabilities continues to be a problem [1,2,3]. Recent research has shown that even the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 only cover half of the accessibility problems that users encounter when interacting with those kind of web applications [4]. Those guidelines do not consider the fact that people with disabilities use special interaction patterns when interacting with web applications [5]. Analysing these interaction patterns and integrating them into the development process of web applications by providing tool support seems promising to help improving the accessibility of those web applications and also to reduce the time and costs for user trials [6,7]. The purpose of this thesis is to simulate interaction patterns of people with disabilities and to analyse how those interaction patterns have effects on the time and efficiency to complete given tasks in web applications. It will also analyse how effective this simulation will be in helping to design web applications, both accessible and usable. To achieve this, a model based simulation framework will be designed that take into account different models involved in the interaction of users with web applications. A software tool will be developed that implements these models and the simulation.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
In assistive technology design, it is indispensible to consider the sensory, physical and cognitive level of target users. Cognitive load is an important indicator of cognitive feedback during interaction and became the critical research issue in designing assistive user interfaces, incorporated with smartphone based assistive technology like in the android platform. In this paper, we proposed a cognitive load based user interface integrated with reconfigured mobile android phone (R-MAP) based on user"s cognitive load level. We performed some cognitive tasks within a small group of sighted but blindfolded people and blind people or visually impaired using R-MAP. Based on task performance and cognitive load levels we manually annotated some data of 24 participants and finally applied some machine learning algorithms to automate the mobile interface. Based on our novel design and experimental finding, we recommended that "cognitive load enabled feedbacks based assistive user interface" would be a useful assistive tool for the people who use mobile phone for their daily operations.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The ultimate goal of this work is to understand the confluence of cognitive load and usability studies in evaluating the performance of fully integrated assistive technology solutions. The platform used for this study is called, Reconfigured Mobile Android Phone (R-MAP). The focus of this study is to measure the cognitive load and perform usability analysis and use them as a guide to refine the design and improve the usability of the R-MAP. A "secondary task performance" based procedure for measuring the cognitive load was used to study the R-MAP. The score of the secondary task performance was found to have strong relationship with the cognitive load, usability of the R-MAP and also the differences in performances among various categories of users.
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Tables remain a persistent problem for visually impaired people using screen readers. Tables are complex structures that are widely used for different purposes such as spatial layout or data summarisation. The multi-dimensional nature of tables challenges the linear interaction styles typically supported by screen readers. To read a table, a user needs to maintain coherency of, and interact with more than one dimension. In this paper, we first characterise why tables are useful in print, but difficult to read in the audio. We present a survey of the relationship between table structure, intention and the reading styles employed to use the content of tables. We then present two different approaches for interacting with tables non-visually. These approaches are designed to support the characteristics of tables that make them such a popular and useful means of conveying information. The first approach provides a small table browser called EVITA (Enabling Visually Impaired Table Access), whose aim is to enable non-visual table browsing and reading in an analogous manner to the print medium. The second approach provides a table lineariser to transform tables into a form such that they can be easily read by screen readers.
Article
Full-text available
Meaning can be as important as usability in the design of technology.
Conference Paper
Tables remain a persistent problem for visually impaired people using screen readers. Tables are complex structures that are widely used for different purposes such as spatial layout or data summarisation. The multi-dimensional nature of tables challenges the linear interaction styles typically supported by screen readers. To read a table, a user needs to maintain coherency of, and interact with more than one dimension. In this paper, we first characterise why tables are useful in print, but difficult to read in the audio. We present a survey of the relationship between table structure, intention and the reading styles employed to use the content of tables. We then present two different approaches for interacting with tables non-visually. These approaches are designed to support the characteristics of tables that make them such a popular and useful means of conveying information. The first approach provides a small table browser called EVITA (Enabling Visually Impaired Table Access), whose aim is to enable non-visual table browsing and reading in an analogous manner to the print medium. The second approach provides a table lineariser to transform tables into a form such that they can be easily read by screen readers.
Conference Paper
The Internet now permits widespread access to textual and pictorial material from digital libraries. The widespread use of graphical user interfaces, however, increasingly bars visu- ally handicapped people from using such material. We present here our current work aimed at the adaptation of an Internet browser to facilitate blind user access to digital libraries. The main distinguishing characteristics of this browser are: (1) active user interaction, both for the macro- analysis and micro-analysis of screen objects of interest; (2) use of a touch-sensitive screen to facilitate user interaction; (3) generation of a virtual sound space into which the screen information is mapped; (4) transcription into sounds not only of text, but also of images. Several prototypes have been implemented, and are being evaluated by blind users.
Conference Paper
Web pages such as news and shopping sites often use modular layouts. When used effectively this practice allows authors to present clearly large amounts of information in a single page. However, while sighted people can visually parse and understand these complex layouts in seconds, current assistive technologies such as screen readers cannot. This puts visually impaired users at a great disadvantage. In order to design better assistive technologies, we conducted a study of how people interpret modular layouts of news and shopping Web pages. The study revealed that when the layout complexity increases, the interpretation process gets longer and the reading gets more varied. Also, before looking at the main content, users first frame the Web page by looking for familiar structural elements that can be used as references and entry points. These elements include navigational bars, search boxes, and ads. This implies that assistive technologies can reduce the time required to frame the pages if they help users identify reference points and entry points.
Article
Various accessibility activities are improving blind access to the increasingly indispensable WWW. These approaches use various metrics to measure the Web's accessibility. “Ease of navigation” (navigability) is one of the crucial factors for blind usability, especially for complicated webpages used in portals and online shopping sites. However, it is difficult for automatic checking tools to evaluate the navigation capabilities even for a single webpage. Navigability issues for complete Web applications are still far beyond their capabilities. This study aims at obtaining quantitative results about the current accessibility status of real world Web applications, and analyzes real users' behavior on such websites. In Study 1, an automatic analysis method for webpage navigability is introduced, and then a broad survey using this method for 30 international online shopping sites is described. The next study (Study 2) focuses on a fine-grained analysis of real users' behavior on some of these online shopping sites. We modified a voice browser to record each user's actions and the information presented to that user. We conducted user testing on existing sites with this tool. We also developed an analysis and visualization method for the recorded information. The results showed us that users strongly depend on scanning navigation instead of logical navigation. A landmark-oriented navigation model was proposed based on the results. Finally, we discuss future possibilities for improving navigability, including proposals for voice browsers.
Newspaper Layout & Design: A Team Approach
  • D R Moen
Moen, D. R. 2000. Newspaper Layout & Design: A Team Approach. 4th Ed. Iowa State University Press, 2000. ISBN 0813807298