Assessing the Reading Level of Web Texts for WCAG2.0 Compliance—Can It Be Done Automatically?

Abstract

Abstract.Readability of text on the web is a key prerequisite for achieving universal accessibility. The World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines state that general text should not require reading levels more advanced than lower secondary education. The subsequent research into readability on the web is limited. However, the literature on measuring readability and reading level is vast, but limited to simple measures of sentence length and word difficulty. This study explores the value of using other features that are harder to acquire manually, but are now readily available through computer technology. Our results indicate that the proposed features are not as accurate predictors to readability as the classic measurements. There may thus be some way to go before we have reliable automatic means of assessing texts on the web for readability.

UbiWheel: A simple context-aware universal control concept for smart home appliances that encourages active living

“…This is especially relevant as individuals vision typically degrade with age. Challenges related to text color contrast [46,47,48,49] and reading and interpreting text [50,51,52] is also eliminated when reducing the reliance on the visual channel. The next step in this work is to set up an experiment to assess whether users in the target group are actually able to control appliances with such an interaction style and how they respond to the idea in terms of comfort and preference.…”

Hostage of the Software: Experiences in Teaching Inferential Statistics to Undergraduate Human-Computer Interaction Students and a Survey of the Literature

“…One may consider the research method a tool where one needs to choose the most suitable tool for a given problem. Examples from our own human-computer research lab include the use of traditional computer science techniques in HCI such as graph theory [31], heuristic evaluation [32,33], qualitative research methods based on interviews [34] and text analysis [35,36], visualization [37,38,39], as well as design and development. Design includes sketching in 2D [40] and 3D [41,42], 3D modelling [43], design of concepts such as new interaction styles for self-service kiosks [44], collaborative work [45] and volunteering [46], tactile feedback for pedestrians [47], design of devices such as augmented reality displays [48], and the development of new design methods [49].…”

Head-Mounted Augmented Reality Displays on the Cheap: A DIY Approach to Sketching and Prototyping Low-Vision Assistive Technologies

“…The long-term goal of this research endeavour is to achieve invisible assistive technology that does not draw attention. The alternative view to assistive technology is universal design where there is one, non-stigmatizing, solution to be used by all, for instance, readable language [26,27,28], dyslexia [29,30,31,32,33], motor disabilities [34,35,36,37], low-vision [38,39]…”