The problems encountered by novice and experienced users when browsing the Web have been well documented in the literature. This project seeks to learn more about the experiences of users with visual impairment who must use screen readers to this end. Through a partnership with the National Federation of the Blind, the PI will document the errors and frustrations of these users. Modified time diaries will be used to collect data on causes, severity, responses, and time lost. The research methods to be used for this project have previously been employed successfully by the PI in preliminary research relating to web usability, web accessibility, user error, user frustration, and user-centered design.
Broader Impacts: There are documented differences in the computer usage and needs of different user groups, but there is limited research on the errors and frustrations that diverse user populations face. The end result of this project will be to increase our knowledge on what the causes of user frustration are, for a large user community for which access to the Web is a problem, so that in future work it will be possible to develop and test improved computer interfaces for the Web that bring us a step closer to achieving the goal of universal usability.
