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TranslationsUser Modeling for Accessibility
Online Symposium 15 July 2013
Page Contents
Introduction
This online symposium invited researchers, practitioners, and users with disabilities, to explore current and past research experiences related to user modeling for accessibility. User modeling is an approach for generating and adapting user interfaces to address particular user needs and preferences. The goal of the symposium was to analyze different methods and implementations of user modeling and their potential usage for improving accessibility for people with disabilities. This includes the design, creation, storage, and usage of user models, in particular in web browsers, applications, authoring tools, and other aspects of the Web.
Proceedings
[Draft] Consolidated Research Report
Research Report on User Modeling for Accessibility, Editor Draft 29 September 2013.
Text Transcript of the Symposium
Text transcript of the online symposium on 15 July 2013.
Contributed Extended Abstracts
- Inclusive User Modelling and Applications
- Pradipta Biswas, University of Cambridge, UK
- Pat Langdon, University of Cambridge, UK
- Validating User Modelling Web Service
- Pradipta Biswas, University of Cambridge, UK
- Pat Langdon, University of Cambridge, UK
- Application of abstract user models as customer involvement in product development
- Markus Modzelewski. University of Bremen
- Michael Lawo. University of Bremen
- Yehya Mohamad, Fraunhofer FIT
- Svetlana Matiouk, Fraunhofer FIT
- Personalised web accessibility assessment using virtual user models
- Nikolaos Kaklanis, Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Konstantinos Votis, Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Dimitrios Tzovaras, Information Technologies Institute, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Profiling users from users' behavior
- Silvia Mirri, Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione, University of Bologna
- Catia Prandi, Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione, University of Bologna
- Paola Salomoni, Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione, University of Bologna
- Increasing the Flexibility of Accessibility Modelling Through the Use of Semantic Relationships
- Matthew J. Bell, Loughborough University
- Colin H. C. Machin, Loughborough University
- Personas can tell the story behind the model
- Whitney Quesenbery, WQusability and Usability in Civic Life
- Developing a Semantic User Preferences and Device Modeling Framework that supports Adaptability of Web Applications for People with Special Needs
- Philip Ackermann, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT
- Carlos A Velasco, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT
- Evangelos Vlachogiannis, Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT
Background
User models are explicit representations of user properties including their needs, preferences, as well as physical, cognitive, and behavioural characteristics. The characteristics are represented by variables. User models are instantiated by the declaration of these variables for a particular user or group of users. Such instantances of user models are called user profiles.
User modeling can be used to enhance the accessibility of user interfaces by generating and adapting them according to the particular user needs and preferences represented as user profiles. Different approaches have been taken in this field but further research and development is necessary, in particular to address the need for standards to support the interoperability and portability of user models across implementations.
More specifically, one of the main challenges of user modeling is lack of a common approach for integrating user profiles that support different user models within individual implementations, and for migrating profiles from one implementation to another. This can be attributed to the broad variety of user profiles and the incompatibilities that can occur among them. For example, differences in user profiles can occur due to differences in scope of the modeling, source of information for the modeling, time sensitivity and update methods of the model (static vs. dynamic model). Other factors that further increase the variety of models include:
- Physical (mechanics and control) and cognitive processes that underlie the users’ actions;
- Differences between the users' and experts' skills, and users' behavioral patterns and preferences;
- Whether the models apply to individual users or entire groups of users such as "communities".
One potential approach for overcoming this challenge is by exploration of the many existing standards relating to human factors, user interface design, interface description language, workplace ergonomics, and others. These can be used to develop user models according to more formalized characteristics thus increasing the interoperability among different user models and user modeling implementations.
More in-depth background and discussion in RDWG wiki on user modeling for accessibility.
Objectives
The objectives of this symposium are to explore:
- Standardized interoperability models providing APIs for different purposes and applications;
- Comparisons of data storage formats for user profiles;
- Comparisons of calibration and validation techniques;
- Collaboration on ethical issues;
- Ensuring sustainability by making user models and profiles available within a standard;
- Mechanisms for exchanging user profile data between sources;
- Protection mechanisms for privacy issues;
- Control mechanisms for user profile data exposure;
Organization
The User Modeling for Accessibility symposium is organized by the W3C WAI Research and Development Working Group (RDWG). For information about RDWG, see the RDWG FAQ. If you have additional questions, contact Shadi Abou-Zahra (W3C Staff Contact).
Symposium Chairs
- Yehya Mohamad (Fraunhofer FIT)
- Christos Kouroupetroglou (IT Dept., ATEI of Thessaloniki)
Scientific Committee
- Shadi Abou-Zahra (W3C/WAI)
- Pradipta Biswas (Cambridge University)
- J. G. Boticario (E.T.S. Ingeniería Informática, UNED Dpto. Inteligencia Artificial)
- Giorgio Brajnik (University of Udine)
- Vivienne L. Conway (Edith Cowan University)
- Klaus Miesenberger (Johannes Kepler Universität)
- Silvia Mirri (Università di Bologna)
- Markus Modzelewski (University of Bremen)
- Carlos Velasco (Fraunhofer FIT)
- Evangelos Vlachogiannis (Fraunhofer FIT)
- Konstantinos Votis (CERTH-ITI)