People who are blind face accessibility and usability barriers every time a digital image author omits or creates uninformative alternative or “alt” text. Often, content creators are simply unaware of screen reader users’ experience and accessibility best practices; there is also a lack of research knowledge about how to design accessible image-dense media, like pictorials. We present (1) a content analysis of 149 pictorials, (2) a thematic analysis of three think-aloud sessions with an expert screen reader user, and (3) practical lessons learned from a co-design workshop with three blind scholars. Our research finds that pictorials are increasingly accessible, but they are still far from providing a usable experience. We identify nine “malicious” alt text patterns that riddle pictorials and three novel accessible alt text patterns to guide authors of image-dense media.

Voice assistants (VAs) – like Amazon Alexa or Siri – offer hands-/eyes-free interactions that are beneficial to a range of users, including individuals who are blind, to fulfill tasks that are otherwise difficult or inaccessible. While these interfaces model conversational interactions to achieve simple tasks, there have been recent calls for VAs that model more transactional interactions for a wider range of complex activities. In this study, we explored the extension of VAs’ capabilities in the context of indoor navigation through mixed-ability focus groups with blind and sighted airport travelers. We found high overlap in the difficulties encountered by blind and sighted travelers, as well as shared interest in a voice-activated travel assistant to improve travel experiences. Leveraging user-elicited recommendations, we present interaction design examples that showcase customization of different and multiple modalities, which collectively demonstrate how VAs can more broadly achieve transactional interactions in complex task scenarios.

Accessibility researchers have been studying wayfinding technologies for people with disabilities for decades, typically focusing on solutions within disability populations - for example, technologies to support blind navigation. Yet, we know little about wayfinding needs across disabilities. In this paper, we describe a qualitative interview study examining the urban navigational experiences of 27 people who identified as older adults and/or who had cognitive, visual, hearing, and/or mobility disabilities. We found that many navigation route preferences were shared across disabilities (e.g., desire to avoid carpeted areas), while others diverged or were in tension (e.g., the need to avoid noisy areas while staying near main thoroughfares). To support design for multiple disability groups, we identify four dimensions of navigation preferences - technology, route, assistance, experience - and describe how these might usefully inform design of more universally usable wayfinding technologies.

Voice-activated personal assistants (VAPAs)--like Amazon Echo or Apple Siri--offer considerable promise to individuals who are blind due to widespread adoption of these non-visual interaction platforms. However, studies have yet to focus on the ways in which these technologies are used by individuals who are blind, along with whether barriers are encountered during the process of interaction. To address this gap, we interviewed fourteen legally-blind adults with experience of home and/or mobile-based VAPAs. While participants appreciated the access VAPAs provided to inaccessible applications and services, they faced challenges relating to the input, responses from VAPAs, and control of information presented. User behavior varied depending on the situation or context of the interaction. Implications for design are suggested to support inclusivity when interacting with VAPAs. These include accounting for privacy and situational factors in design, examining ways to support concerns over trust, and synchronizing presentation of visual and non-visual cues.

For decades, researchers have investigated and developed technologies that support independent navigation for people who are blind. This has led to systems that primarily aid in detecting routes, landmarks, and building features. However, there has been relatively little inquiry regarding how technologies might support navigation around and in the presence of other people. What visual information, if any, do blind navigators wish they had about people on their path? To address this question, we surveyed 58 blind and low vision individuals and interviewed 10 blind individuals. We discovered our participants were interested in using visual information about others to increase their physical safety. For example, they wanted to know if a passerby was holding a weapon, if a presumed official had a proper uniform or badge, and how to describe visual aspects of a criminal to law enforcement. This paper presents one of the only reports documenting accessibility challenges related to physical safety posed by others, including how future assistive tools can empower individuals with disabilities to more actively increase their sense of safety. We call this emerging area Personal Safety Management and contribute a set of four broad subareas that deserve further exploration by researchers and designers working within the blind and broader disabilities communities.

Prevention of errors has been an orienting goal within the field of Human-Computer Interaction since its inception, with particular focus on minimizing human errors through appropriate technology design. However, there has been relatively little exploration into how designers can best support users of technologies that will inevitably make errors. We present a mixed-methods study in the domain of navigation technology for visually impaired individuals. We examined how users respond to device errors made in realistic scenarios of use. Contrary to conventional wisdom that usable systems must be error-free, we found that 42% of errors were acceptable to users. Acceptance of errors depends on error type, building feature, and environmental context. Further, even when a technical error is acceptable to the user, the misguided social responses of others nearby can negatively impact user experience. We conclude with design recommendations that embrace errors while also supporting user management of errors in technical systems.

Large indoor spaces continue to pose challenges to independent navigation for people who are blind. Unfortunately, assistive technologies designed to support indoor navigation frequently make errors that are technically difficult or impossible to eliminate. We conducted a study to explore whether there are strategic ways designers can minimize the impact of inevitable errors on user experience. This paper summarizes an online survey of 41 blind individuals regarding their projected acceptance to three types of errors expected of these devices. We found that some errors were more acceptable than others. Factors that impacted results included the error type and the social/environmental setting.

As users become increasingly more reliant on online resources to satisfy their information needs, care is needed to ensure that these resources are credible in nature, especially if a decision is to be taken based upon the information accessed. The credibility of a web site is known to be heavily influenced by its visual appearance. However, for individuals who are blind, challenges are often faced accessing these visual cues when using assistive technologies. In this paper, we describe an observational study to examine the strategies and workarounds developed by individuals who are blind to perform credibility assessments. These are compared with those used by sighted users. Findings from the study have highlighted the relationship between accessibility and credibility. The features used to form assessments non-visually have also been identified. Insights from the study can be used to support the design of highly credible interfaces for blind screen reader users.

While screen reading technologies offer considerable promise to individuals who are blind by providing an accessible overview of web-based content, difficulties can be faced determining the credibility of sites and their respective contents. This can impact the user's behavior, particularly if sensitive information needs to be entered (e.g. into a web-based form). In this paper, we describe an exploratory study examining the criteria which blind screen reader users utilize to assess credibility. More specifically, we have focused on the common task of web searching and exploring search results. Findings from the study have suggested that mismatches between the title of the search results and their respective snippets, along with the richness and accessibility of the content when search results are selected, can lead to users determining whether sites are indeed credible.

In this demonstration, we describe our exploration in making graphic design theory accessible to a visually impaired student with the use of rapid prototyping tools. We created over 10 novel aids with the use of a laser cutter and 3D printer to demonstrate tangible examples of color theory, type face, web page layouts, and web design. These tactile aids were inexpensive and fabricated in a relatively small amount of time, suggesting the feasibility of our approach. The participant's feedback concluded an increased understanding of the class material and confirmed the potential of tactile aids and rapid prototyping in an educational environment