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A Comparative Study of Accessibility and Usability of Norwegian University Websites for Screen Reader Users Based on User Experience and Automated Assessment

Published: 19 July 2020 Publication History

Abstract

Websites are essential for learners’ access to information. However, due to the lack of accessibility and usability of websites, students with disabilities who solely rely on screen readers face challenges accessing webpage contents. This study explores accessibility and usability issues frequently encountered by screen reader students while interacting with Norwegian university webpages. An evaluation using automated tools showed that none of the university websites met the minimum WCAG 2.1 guidelines. Sixteen visually impaired participants were recruited and assigned five usability tasks on four different university websites. The results show that participants encountered usability and accessibility issues on all four websites. Recommendations for increased accessibility are proposed based on the findings.

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Cited By

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  • (2023)A Visualization Bookmarklet for Assessing the Readability of Texts on the WebProceedings of the 16th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments10.1145/3594806.3596526(237-238)Online publication date: 5-Jul-2023
  • (2023)The Awareness and Practices of Web Developers Toward Sustainable Web DesignDesign, User Experience, and Usability10.1007/978-3-031-35699-5_11(134-145)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
  • (2020)Towards More Efficient Screen Reader Web Access with Automatic Summary Generation and Text TaggingComputers Helping People with Special Needs10.1007/978-3-030-58796-3_36(303-313)Online publication date: 9-Sep-2020

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Information

Published In

cover image Guide Proceedings
Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design Approaches and Supporting Technologies: 14th International Conference, UAHCI 2020, Held as Part of the 22nd HCI International Conference, HCII 2020, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 19–24, 2020, Proceedings, Part I
Jul 2020
533 pages
ISBN:978-3-030-49281-6
DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3
  • Editors:
  • Margherita Antona,
  • Constantine Stephanidis

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Springer-Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg

Publication History

Published: 19 July 2020

Author Tags

  1. Web accessibility
  2. Web usability
  3. WCAG 2.1
  4. Universal design
  5. University websites
  6. Screen reader
  7. Blind
  8. Visually impaired

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View all
  • (2023)A Visualization Bookmarklet for Assessing the Readability of Texts on the WebProceedings of the 16th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments10.1145/3594806.3596526(237-238)Online publication date: 5-Jul-2023
  • (2023)The Awareness and Practices of Web Developers Toward Sustainable Web DesignDesign, User Experience, and Usability10.1007/978-3-031-35699-5_11(134-145)Online publication date: 23-Jul-2023
  • (2020)Towards More Efficient Screen Reader Web Access with Automatic Summary Generation and Text TaggingComputers Helping People with Special Needs10.1007/978-3-030-58796-3_36(303-313)Online publication date: 9-Sep-2020

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