Multimodal Presentation of Two-Dimensional Charts

Abstract

Several solutions, based on aural and haptic feedback, have been developed to enable access to complex on-line and digital information contents for people with visual impairment. Nevertheless, there are several components of widely used software applications that are still beyond the reach of traditional screen readers and Braille displays. This article investigates the nonvisual accessibility issues associated with the graphing component of Microsoft Excel and proposes a novel approach and system. The goal is to provide flexible multi-modal presentation schemes which can help visually impaired users in comprehending the most commonly used two dimensional business charts, demonstrated within the familiar context of Excel charts. The methodology identifies the need for three distinct strategies used in the user interaction with a chart: exploratory, guided , and summarization . These methodologies have been implemented using a multimodal approach, which combines aural cues, speech commentaries, and 3-dimensional haptic feedback. The prototype implementation and the preliminary studies suggest that the multimodality can be effectively realized and users denote preferences in intertwining these methodologies to gain understanding of the content of charts. These methodologies have been implemented in a system, which makes use of the Novint Falcon haptic device and integrated as a plug-in in Microsoft Excel.