WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment

Hesham M. Kamel; Halil I. Erhan

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72

WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment

Hesham M. Kamel, Halil I. Erhan

Department of Intelligent Systems

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Accessing Web content including lay out of web pages is currently limited for sight-impaired people. In general, Internet content is designed with sighted users in mind, requiring users without this ability to adapt (Edwards, 1994). The non-visual interaction methods presented by Screen Readers are often serial in nature and laborious. In this paper we introduce the design and evaluation of WebSight, a talking browser that conveys layouts of Web pages for the blind. WebSight is a plug-in for Internet Explorer and employs a universal 3X3 grid-based interface (Kamel, 2002), to assist blind people with visualizing Web content with respect to its absolute and relative positions. Each cell of the grid contains a 3X3 virtual sub-grid with nine unique positions. We conducted an experiment involving six blind and six sighted navigating a layout of a particular webpage. The study reveals that the use of absolute and relative position coupled with a grid-based interface enable blind users to build mental model of page layout at least as well as sighted users. In addition, findings of the study suggest that the grid-based interface is a universal mechanism that enhances the process of building mental models of layout designs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction
Subtitle of host publication	User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings
Pages	674-683
Number of pages	10
Edition	PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72
Publication status	Published - 2013
Event	7th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Design Methods, Tools, and Interaction Techniques for eInclusion, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI 2013 - Las Vegas, NV, United States Duration: Jul 21 2013 → Jul 26 2013

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Number	PART 2
Volume	8010 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Other

Other	7th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Design Methods, Tools, and Interaction Techniques for eInclusion, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI 2013
Country/Territory	United States
City	Las Vegas, NV
Period	7/21/13 → 7/26/13

Keywords

Absolute and relative positions
Blind
Grid-based interface
Internet
Mental model
Talking browser
Visually impaired
Web page layout

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Theoretical Computer Science
General Computer Science

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72

Cite this

Kamel, H. M., & Erhan, H. I. (2013). WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment. In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings (PART 2 ed., pp. 674-683). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 8010 LNCS, No. PART 2). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72

WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment. / Kamel, Hesham M.; Erhan, Halil I.
Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings. PART 2. ed. 2013. p. 674-683 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 8010 LNCS, No. PART 2).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Kamel, HM & Erhan, HI 2013, WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment. in Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings. PART 2 edn, Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), no. PART 2, vol. 8010 LNCS, pp. 674-683, 7th International Conference on Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: Design Methods, Tools, and Interaction Techniques for eInclusion, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCI 2013, Las Vegas, NV, United States, 7/21/13. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72

Kamel HM, Erhan HI. WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment. In Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings. PART 2 ed. 2013. p. 674-683. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); PART 2). doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-39191-0_72

Kamel, Hesham M. ; Erhan, Halil I. / WebSight : The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment. Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction: User and Context Diversity - 7th International Conference, UAHCI 2013, Held as Part of HCI International 2013, Proceedings. PART 2. ed. 2013. pp. 674-683 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); PART 2).

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WebSight: The use of the grid-based interface to convey layout of web-pages in a non-visual environment

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