Title :
Is Facebook really "open" to all?
Author :
Buzzi, Maria Claudia ; Buzzi, Marina ; Leporini, Barbara ; Akhter, Fahim
Author_Institution :
IIT-CNR, Pisa, Italy
Abstract :
Social interaction is important for everyone, and vital for the differently-abled and elderly. Social network applications are causing us to change our ways of communicating and working. We can now make friends all over the world, share ideas and knowledge, search for others´ opinions, and more. Facebook and Twitter are examples of these applications. However, these opportunities are usually meant for people who can walk, see, and talk without difficulty. In this paper we show how blind persons, using screen readers and voice synthesizers to access the Web, can interact with social network applications. Our case study focuses on Facebook, analyzing basic features, explaining electronic barriers and suggesting solutions.
Keywords :
Internet; handicapped aids; social networking (online); voice equipment; Facebook; Twitter; Web; blind persons; differently abled; elderly; screen readers; social interaction; social network applications; voice synthesizers; Cognitive science; Collaboration; Facebook; Fuels; Navigation; Senior citizens; Social network services; Synthesizers; Twitter; User interfaces;
Conference_Titel :
Technology and Society (ISTAS), 2010 IEEE International Symposium on
Conference_Location :
Wollongong, NSW
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4244-7777-7
DOI :
10.1109/ISTAS.2010.5514621