Abstract
AbstractDespite many assistive tools available for browsing the web, blind persons are not able to perform the tasks using internet that are done by persons without such disability. Even the futuristic social networking sites and other websites using the features of web 2.0 indicate a lesser accessible/responsible web. In this paper, we propose a framework, which can be used by the websites of public interest to make their important utilities better accessible and usable to blind web users. The approach is based on providing an alternate access system on the fly using one single website. The framework makes use of existing technologies like JavaScript, available speech APIs etc. and therefore provides a lightweight and robust solution to the accessibility problem. As a case study, we demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed framework by showing its working on a key functionality of the Indian Railways Reservation Website.
Highlights
The original purpose of the World Wide Web was to be able to represent documents on different platforms and different user interfaces including text-based and auditory interfaces in a single computer network
Without requiring traveling a long distance and waiting in a queue for hours, one can access any information or can perform a task in seconds. The benefits of this powerful tool are still away from the blind users who make the use of screen readers or similar assistive tools to surf the web
We propose a framework using which, dedicated speech based interface may be provided on an existing website of public interest by its owner for providing its important services to the blind users
Summary
The original purpose of the World Wide Web was to be able to represent documents on different platforms and different user interfaces including text-based and auditory interfaces in a single computer network. In 21st century, Internet is one of the biggest tools that have eased our life to a major extent. It has offered alternate ways of performing tasks which were otherwise tedious and time consuming. The benefits of this powerful tool are still away from the blind users who make the use of screen readers or similar assistive tools to surf the web. Findings of a study [2] reveal that accessing web content was “frustratingly difficult” for blind users, implying the need for availability of more accessible and usable web content and better assistive technology
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