ABSTRACT
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.
- Tablin: an html table linearizer. Http://www.w3.org.Google Scholar
- Web content accessibility guidelines 1.0, 1999. Http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAIWEBCONTENT/.Google Scholar
- S. Chang and R. Rice. Browsing: a multidimensional framework. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology, 28:231--276, 1993.Google Scholar
- W. Chisholm and M. Novak. Increasing the accessibility of the web through style sheets, scripts and plug-ins. In CSUN, 1999.Google Scholar
- R. Filepp, J. Challenger, and D. Rosu. Improving the accessibility of aurally rendered html tables. In Assets'02, pages 9--16, 2002. Google ScholarDigital Library
- L. Fuller. Evaluation of table and document navigation tools, 1999. Http://trace.wisc.edu/.Google Scholar
- C. Goble, S. Harper, and R. Stevens. The travails of visually impaired web travellers. In The Eleventh ACM on Hypertext and Hypermedia, pages 1--10, 2000. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Henter-Joyce, Inc. Jaws. Http://www.hj.com.Google Scholar
- S. Hussain. Xml technology for transforming tables for non-visual interaction. Master's thesis, The University of Manchester, 2002.Google Scholar
- C. Laws and C. Asakawa. IBM home page reader: the voice of the world wide web. In CSUN, 1999.Google Scholar
- Monk, P. Wright, J. Haber, and L. Davenport. Improving Your Human-Computer Interface: A Practical Technique. Prentice Hall, 1993.Google Scholar
- T. Oogane and C. Asakawa. An interactive method for accessing tables in html. In Assets '98, pages 126--128. ACM Press, 1998. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Xiong, E. Saad, G. Gupta, and A. Karshmer. Navigation of html tables, frames, and xml fragments. In Assets'02, pages 25--32. ACM Press, 2002. Google ScholarDigital Library
- E. Pontelli, W. Xiong, G. Gupta, and A. Karshmer. A domain specific language framework for non-visual browsing of complex html structures. In Assets'00, pages 180--187. ACM Press, 2000. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Productivity Works. em pwWebSpeak.Http://www.soundlinks.com/pwgen.htm.Google Scholar
- R. Ramloll, S. Brewster, W. Yu, and B. Riedel Using non-speech sounds to improve access to 2D tabular numerical information for visually impaired users. In IHM-HCI2001, 2001.Google Scholar
- R. Stevens and A. Edwards. An approach to the evaluation of assistive technology. ASSETS'96, pages 64--71. ACM Press, 1996. Google ScholarDigital Library
- R. Stevens, A. Edwards, and P. Harling. Access to mathematics for visually disabled students through multi-modal interaction. Human-Computer Interaction}, pages 47--92, 1997. Google ScholarDigital Library
- P. Wright. Tables in text: the subskills needed for reading formatted information. In L. John Chapman, editor, The Reader and The Text, pages 60--69. London:Heineman, 1981.Google Scholar
- P. Wright and K. Fox. Presenting information in tables. Applied Ergonomics, 1:331--343, 1970.Google ScholarCross Ref
- Y. Yesilada. Browsing tables when you cannot see them. Master's thesis, The University of Manchester, 2000.Google Scholar
- M. Zajicek, C. Powell, and C.Reeves. Evaluation of a world wide web scanning interface for blind and visually impaired users. In HCI '99, volume 2, pages 980--984, 1999. Google ScholarDigital Library
Index Terms
- Rendering tables in audio: the interaction of structure and reading styles
Recommendations
Rendering tables in audio: the interaction of structure and reading styles
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 ...
On presenting audio-tactile maps to visually impaired users for getting directions
CHI EA '10: CHI '10 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing SystemsRecent years have witnessed significant efforts on developing computer-based technologies for making maps accessible to people who are blind. Existing work has largely focused on the technological aspects of the problem without adequate attention to the ...
The challenges in adopting assistive technologies in the workplace for people with visual impairments
OzCHI '18: Proceedings of the 30th Australian Conference on Computer-Human InteractionThere are many barriers to employment for people with visual impairments. Assistive technologies (ATs), such as computer screen readers and enlarging software, are commonly used to help overcome employment barriers and enable people with visual ...
Comments