article

Analysis of navigability of Web applications for improving blind usability

Authors:

Hironobu Takagi,

Kentarou Fukuda,

Chieko AsakawaAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), Volume 14, Issue 3

Pages 13 - es

https://doi.org/10.1145/1279700.1279703

Published: 01 September 2007 Publication History

Abstract

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.

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Singh SJatana NSehgal SAnand RArunkumar BRamesh J(2024)Making Digital Payments Accessible Beyond Sight: A Usability Study of UPI-Based Smartphone ApplicationsIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2023.334884012(6830-6841)Online publication date: 2024
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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction Volume 14, Issue 3

September 2007

124 pages

ISSN:1073-0516

EISSN:1557-7325

DOI:10.1145/1279700

Issue’s Table of Contents

Copyright © 2007 ACM.

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 September 2007

Published in TOCHI Volume 14, Issue 3

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Singh SJatana NSehgal SAnand RArunkumar BRamesh J(2024)Making Digital Payments Accessible Beyond Sight: A Usability Study of UPI-Based Smartphone ApplicationsIEEE Access10.1109/ACCESS.2023.334884012(6830-6841)Online publication date: 2024
https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3348840
Mackamul ECasiez GMalacria S(2024)Clarifying and differentiating discoverabilityHuman–Computer Interaction10.1080/07370024.2024.2364606(1-26)Online publication date: 13-Jun-2024
https://doi.org/10.1080/07370024.2024.2364606
Sulong SYusof R(2024)Developing a blind user mental model (BlUMM) for web browsingUniversal Access in the Information Society10.1007/s10209-023-01035-523:3(1343-1367)Online publication date: 1-Aug-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s10209-023-01035-5
MIURA TYABU K(2023)NARRATIVE REVIEW OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND SENSORY SUBSTITUTION IN PEOPLE WITH VISUAL AND HEARING IMPAIRMENTPSYCHOLOGIA10.2117/psysoc.2022-B03165:1(70-99)Online publication date: 2023
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