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Re: Excellent paper on how screen reader users interact with webpages

for

From: Alistair Duggin
Date: Apr 11, 2012 11:30PM

Here are a couple of more recent research papers I have found. I
could only find pdf versions so have included the abstracts here.

Do you know of any similar studies or resources ?

More than Meets the Eye: A Survey of Screen-Reader Browsing Strategies
(2009)
Abstract: Browsing the Web with screen readers can be difficult and
frustrating. Web pages often contain inaccessible content that is
expressed only visually or that can be accessed only with the
mouse. Screen-reader users must also contend with usability
challenges encountered when the reading content is designed with
built-in assumptions of how it will be accessed – generally by a
sighted person on a standard display. Far from passive consumers
of content who simply accept web content as accessible or not,
many screen-reader users are adept at developing, discovering,
and employing browsing strategies that help them overcome the
accessibility and usability problems they encounter. In this paper,
we overview the browsing strategies that we have observed
screen-reader users employ when faced with challenges, ranging
from unfamiliar web sites and complex web pages to dynamic and
automatically-refreshing content. A better understanding of
existing browsing strategies can inform the design of accessible
websites, development of new tools that make experienced users
more effective, and help overcome the initial learning curve for
users who have not yet acquired effective browsing strategies.

http://hci.cs.rochester.edu/pubs/pdfs/browsing-strategies-w4a10.pdf



Usability and Accessibility of eBay by Screen Reader (2009)
Abstract. The evolution of Information and Communication Technology and
the rapid growth of the Internet have fuelled a great diffusion of
eCommerce
websites. Usually these sites have complex layouts crowded with active
elements, and thus are difficult to navigate via screen reader.
Interactive
environments should be properly designed and delivered to everyone,
including
the blind, who usually use screen readers to interact with their
computers. In
this paper we investigate the interaction of blind users with eBay, a
popular
eCommerce website, and discuss how using the W3C Accessible Rich
Internet
Applications (WAI-ARIA) suite could improve the user experience when
navigating via screen reader.
http://giove.isti.cnr.it/attachments/publications/2009-A2-091.pdf



Source Order, Skip links and Structural labels (2006)
Abstract: Is page source order important to screen reader users?
Recently, the idea of
placing the informational content of a web page before the navigation
has gained some
currency. This paper reports on our research into the relevance and
importance of
page source order, skip links and structural labels for screen reader
users.
http://usability.com.au/resources/source-order.cfm


cheers,
Al

On 11 Apr 2012, at 19:49, Jennifer Sutton wrote:

> This article seems to be picking up steam in circulation. I
> recommend that readers keep in mind that it came out a number of
> years ago like 2002 or 2003.
>
> The article reads, in part:
> "Between November 2002 and February 2003, we observed and listened to
> 16 blind users as they worked with Web sites using assistive devices
> that read the screen to them (screen readers)."
>
>
> No NVDA, no VO . . .
> And hasn't the Web changed? And many new versions of screen readers
> since then?
>
> It may be useful/thought-provoking, but dates on this kind of
> information/research matter, even if they are not always easy to
> notice.
>
> Jennifer
>
> At 12:29 PM 4/11/2012, you wrote:
>> I generally only use Twitter to distribute this kind of info, rather
>> than overload the list, but I find this article and study very
>> interesting, especially in that it provides tips and ideas not just
>> for designers but also for SR vendors.
>
>
>> http://www.redish.net/content/papers/interactions.html
>> >> >> >
> > >