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A Comparative Study of Accessibility and Usability of Norwegian University Websites for Screen Reader Users Based on User Experience and Automated Assessment

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Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design Approaches and Supporting Technologies (HCII 2020)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 12188))

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Abstract

Websites are essential for learners’ access to information. However, due to the lack of accessibility and usability of websites, students with disabilities who solely rely on screen readers face challenges accessing webpage contents. This study explores accessibility and usability issues frequently encountered by screen reader students while interacting with Norwegian university webpages. An evaluation using automated tools showed that none of the university websites met the minimum WCAG 2.1 guidelines. Sixteen visually impaired participants were recruited and assigned five usability tasks on four different university websites. The results show that participants encountered usability and accessibility issues on all four websites. Recommendations for increased accessibility are proposed based on the findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Technology, Art and Design, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway

    Prabin Parajuli & Evelyn Eika

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  1. Prabin Parajuli
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  2. Evelyn Eika
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Correspondence to Evelyn Eika .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Margherita Antona

  2. University of Crete and Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Constantine Stephanidis

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Parajuli, P., Eika, E. (2020). A Comparative Study of Accessibility and Usability of Norwegian University Websites for Screen Reader Users Based on User Experience and Automated Assessment. In: Antona, M., Stephanidis, C. (eds) Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction. Design Approaches and Supporting Technologies. HCII 2020. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12188. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49282-3_21

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-49281-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-49282-3

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