Building a 'blind-friendly' Internet
21.05.12
He runs his mouse across the pad, and a screen reader rapidly speaks everything that appears on his computer screen plus graphic tags and other background coding. The computerized voice runs through the information at a speed thats barely comprehensible to the untrained ear. Experienced screen-reader users, says Babu, an assistant professor in UWMs School of Information Studies (SOIS), usually run the sound faster.
Screen readers are vital tools in helping those who are visually impaired use computers and the Internet, but improvements are needed to make online information easier to access, he says.
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The motivation for my research is to see that the Internet, which is so critical in todays society for education and social interaction, is accessible to blind people , says Babu, who joined the SOIS faculty in fall 2011. He adds that improvements in accessibility and usability may benefit not just the blind but also others, like older people, whose vision isnt as acute as it once was. And, he adds, making a site more user-friendly for the blind benefits everyone.
Source: PhysOrg.com