This book addresses to some of the important issues, challenges and approaches related to web accessibility in context of visually impaired users. Speech is a convenient medium of interaction for visually challenged users, Internet accessibility for them is made possible by providing an alternative speech-based interface for human-computer interaction. Problems associated with speech based web interfaces are manifold. Most of the web content available today has been designed for the visual interface via graphical browsers. Screen Readers have been the primary tool for using internet by visually impaired. Unfortunately, most of the popular and workable screen readers are proprietary and bear a heavy price tag. Thus, Design and development of powerful yet affordable speech based interfaces would be certainly helpful in enhancing the overall Quality of Life of visually challenged.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. MAJOR OBJECTIVES
1.2. DOMAIN OF RESEARCH
1.3. RESEARCH SCOPE
1.4. A SURVEY FOR ASSESSMENT OF USER REQUIREMENTS
1.5. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.6. PROPOSED SOLUTION
1.7. ORGANIZATION OF THESIS
CHAPTER 2. BACKGROUND WORK
2.1. PROBLEMS AND ISSUES
2.1.1. Accessibility, Usability and Navigability
2.1.2. Keyboard based Accessibility
2.1.2.1. Windows Application Accessibility Vs Web Accessibility
2.1.2.2. Keys used in accessibility by visually impaired
2.1.2.3. Key Shortcuts based accessibility
2.2. ROLE OF WEB DEVELOPERS
2.3. ROLE OF ASSISTIVE TOOLS
2.4. ROLE OF VISUALLY CHALLENGED USERS
2.4.1. Various Strategies to Design Web Accessibility Tools
2.4.2. Universal Vs. Local Installation
2.5. W3C RECOMMENDATIONS ON ACCESSIBILITY
2.5.1. W3C and WAI
2.5.2. WAI Specifications
2.5.3. Web Content Accessibility
2.5.4. Authoring Tool Accessibility
2.5.5. User Agent Accessibility
2.5.6. Accessible Rich Internet Contents (ARIA) Suite
2.5.7. Challenges posed by Web 2.0
2.6. EXISTING SYSTEMS AND RELATED WORK
2.7. TEXT TO SPEECH (TTS) ON WEB
CHAPTER 3. WACTA, THE SPEECH BASED WEB BROWSER
3.1. INTRODUCTION
3.2. SYSTEM DESIGN
3.2.1. Conceptual Architecture
3.2.2. Link Navigation Mode
3.2.3. Navigate-All Mode
3.2.4. Newsreader Mode
3.2.5. Page Analytic Mode
3.2.6. Query Mode
3.2.7. Text Glimpses through Mouse Mode
3.2.8. Switch Over between two Modes
3.2.9. Key Shortcuts
3.2.10. Informed Search
3.3. SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
3.3.1. Platform and Language
3.3.2. .NET Framework
3.3.3. The WebBrowser Class
3.3.4. Web Page Analytics
3.3.5. HtmlDocument Class
3.3.6. HtmlElement Class
3.3.7. HtmlElementCollection Class
3.3.8. SpeechSynthesizer Class
3.3.9. Newsreader Style Navigation
3.3.10. Tab Based Navigation
3.3.11. Up/Down Key Based Navigation
3.3.12. Query within Site
3.3.13. Analytical Mode
3.3.14. Text Glimpse Mode
3.3.15. Narrator Voice Management
3.3.16. Speech Feedback For User Input
3.3.17. Commands and Key Shortcuts in WACTA
3.4. USER EVALUATION OF WACTA WEB BROWSER
3.5. CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 4. DIRECT SPEECH-ENABLING THE PUBLIC UTILITY WEBSITES
4.1. INTRODUCTION
4.2. SYSTEM DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
4.2.1. Design Goals and Decisions
4.2.2. The Conceptual Architecture
4.3. SPEECH ENABLING PUBLIC UTILITY WEBSITES: CASE STUDY OF INDIAN RAILWAYS WEBSITE
4.3.1. Navigation related issues
4.3.2. Identify the Key functionalities of the website
4.3.3. Speech enabling the Book a Berth functionality
4.4. SYSTEM ASSESSMENT
4.4.1. Results and Discussion
4.4.2. Conclusions
CHAPTER 5. VOICEXML /VOIP BASED CLIENT INTERFACE FOR INTERACTIVE BROWSING
5.1. INTRODUCTION
5.2. EXISTING SYSTEMS
5.2.1. VoiceXML
5.2.2. GUIs, WUIs, VUIs
5.2.3. W3C recommended Speech Interface Framework
5.2.4. Other Framework for speech Interface
5.3. DESIGN OF SICE FRAMEWORK
5.3.1. Enhanced Functionality
5.3.2. Platform and Language
5.3.3. System Architecture
5.3.3.1. HTTP Event Handler
5.3.3.2. VoIP Event Handler
5.3.3.3. Keystroke Handler
5.3.3.4. Speech Recognizer
5.3.3.5. Speech Synthesizer
5.3.3.6. Content Summarizer
5.3.3.7. Interface
5.3.3.8. Encrpter-Decrypter
5.4. SPEECH BASED WEB APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT USING SICE FRAMEWORK
5.4.1. As a Result Checker
5.5. CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 6. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF INTERNET ASSISTIVE TOOLS
6.1. DEFINING THE FRAMEWORK
6.1.1. Identification of Performance Attributes
6.1.2. Identification of Usage Properties
6.1.3. Identification of Usage Metrics
6.1.4. Ground Case Values of Usage Metrics
6.1.5. Mapping Usage Properties to Performance Attributes
6.1.6. Formulation for Performance Attributes
6.1.7. Formulation for Overall Performance Measure of Assistive Tool
6.1.8. Using the Framework in Performance Evaluation
6.2. CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
7.1. INTRODUCTION
7.2. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY
7.3. EVALUATION RESULTS
7.4. CONCLUSIONS
CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
8.1 INTRODUCTION AND WORK SUMMARY
8.2 CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE RESEARCH WORK
8.3 FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Objectives and Scope
This thesis addresses the critical issue of web accessibility for visually challenged users by designing an affordable, speech-based web browser called 'WACTA' and developing frameworks to enable speech-based interactions on existing public utility websites. The research aims to empower visually challenged individuals to perform routine and complex online tasks independently and with dignity by providing a seamless, speech-based interface that minimizes the need for third-party assistive software.
- Design and development of an affordable, speech-based web browser named WACTA.
- Formulation of a framework to speech-enable existing public utility websites.
- Development of a VoiceXML/VOIP-based client interface for interactive web browsing.
- Creation of a hierarchical model for the quantitative evaluation of internet assistive tools.
- User evaluation of the proposed systems with visually challenged participants.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2.1 Conceptual Architecture
Fig. 3.1 describes the conceptual architecture of the WACTA web browser. The system is based on narration of the webpage in a controlled way as well speech feedback for user input. The requested web page is loaded on the browser. The web page is parsed to obtain its constituent elements. It is then sent to the Text to Speech (TTS) to generate the speech equivalent of the desired text. User Input is given by keyboard input on the web browser address bar. A speech based feedback is generated for each key press thereby assuring the user of correct key press. Various modes of access have been provided to control the web content in a desired way.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: This chapter defines the research problem, highlights the challenges faced by visually challenged users regarding web accessibility, and outlines the major research objectives and scope.
CHAPTER 2. BACKGROUND WORK: This chapter reviews existing literature on web accessibility, usability, navigability, and W3C guidelines, while surveying current assistive tools like screen readers and text-to-speech systems.
CHAPTER 3. WACTA, THE SPEECH BASED WEB BROWSER: This chapter details the design, implementation, and unique features of the WACTA web browser, emphasizing its architecture and operational modes.
CHAPTER 4. DIRECT SPEECH-ENABLING THE PUBLIC UTILITY WEBSITES: This chapter proposes a framework for owners of public utility websites to directly speech-enable their platforms, using the Indian Railways website as a case study.
CHAPTER 5. VOICEXML /VOIP BASED CLIENT INTERFACE FOR INTERACTIVE BROWSING: This chapter introduces a framework utilizing VoiceXML and VoIP to develop interactive, web-based voice applications without requiring traditional telephony.
CHAPTER 6. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF INTERNET ASSISTIVE TOOLS: This chapter establishes a hierarchical model for the quantitative performance evaluation of assistive tools, defining performance attributes and usage metrics.
CHAPTER 7. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This chapter presents the evaluation results of the WACTA web browser based on tests performed by 25 visually challenged users across various tasks.
CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS: This chapter summarizes the overall research contributions and suggests future enhancements for the developed systems and frameworks.
Keywords
Web Accessibility, Visually Challenged, WACTA, Speech-based Web Browser, Human-Computer Interaction, Assistive Technology, Screen Readers, VoiceXML, VoIP, SICE Framework, Performance Evaluation, Usability, Navigability, Web 2.0, Indian Railways Website
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary goal of this research?
The research aims to enhance web accessibility for visually challenged users by creating an affordable, speech-based web browser and proposing frameworks to make public utility websites more accessible.
What are the central themes of the work?
The work focuses on Human-Computer Interaction, web accessibility standards, speech synthesis, and the development of assistive technologies specifically tailored for visually challenged individuals.
What is the WACTA browser?
WACTA is a custom-designed, speech-based web browser developed using C# and .NET 4.0 that provides various navigation and interaction modes for visually challenged users.
Which scientific methods were used in this study?
The research employs a "Research by Application Development" philosophy, incorporating systematic system design, implementation, and experimental user evaluation with a group of 25 visually challenged participants.
What does the main body of the thesis address?
The main body covers the development of the WACTA browser, frameworks for speech-enabling websites (like the Indian Railways site), a VoIP/VoiceXML-based interactive interface, and a model for evaluating the performance of assistive tools.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Web Accessibility, WACTA, Speech-based Web Browser, Assistive Technology, VoiceXML, VoIP, SICE Framework, and Human-Computer Interaction.
How does the proposed SICE framework function?
The SICE framework acts as a server-side plug-in that records a macro of user-traversal steps on a webpage. When triggered by a user, it dynamically adds JavaScript to the page, enabling a guided, speech-enabled interaction flow.
What is the purpose of the Performance Evaluation model?
The model provides a standardized, quantitative approach to measure the effectiveness of assistive tools by mapping specific usage metrics to broader performance attributes like HCI Index and User Satisfaction.
- Quote paper
- Prabhat Verma (Author), 2013, Speech as Interface in Web Applications for Visually Challenged, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/311374
