WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Accessibility research

for

From: Jenny Craven
Date: Mar 5, 2002 3:07AM

I have been reading a number of list postings about accessibility
and user behaviour, and thought list members might be interested
in a research project I am working on at the Centre for Research in
Library and Information Management (CERLIM).

The project is called Non-Visual Access to the Digital Library and
is funded by the UK Council for Museums Archives and Libraries
(Resource). The main aim of the project is to develop further
understanding of user behaviour with web based resources, looking
in particular at how blind and visually impaired people approach
web based interfaces when looking for information.

The project included a user testing phase with 20 sighted and 20
visually impaired people. Sighted users were able to comfortably
read a standard size screen whereas visually impaired users
needed assistive technology, or had to be very close to the screen
to be able to 'read' it.

The users undertook the same four information seeking tasks using
four different electronic resources - a search engine, a library online
catalogue, an online directory of Internet resources and a
commercial web site. Each step of the process was logged (at
keystroke or equivalent level). As well as logging the information
seeking process, pre- and post-task questions were asked in order
to gather data of a more qualitative nature.

I am currently in the process of transcribing the data gathered,
which includes the mapping of each search task. The project is
due to end in June 2002, after which a final report will be made
available.

If you would like to find out more about the project then you can
visit the project website at:
http://www.cerlim.ac.uk/projects/nova.htm

I hope this information will be of interest
All the best
Jenny Craven
Research Fellow
CERLIM



**********************************************************************
Jenny Craven, Research Fellow
The Centre for Research in Library and Information Management (CERLIM)
Dept. Information and Communications
The Manchester Metropolitan University
Geoffrey Manton Building
Rosamond Street West
off Oxford Road
Manchester M15 6LL UK
Tel 0161 247 6142 Fax 0161 247 6979
Email <EMAIL REMOVED>
Web: http://www.cerlim.ac.uk


----
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/