Web wizard for the visually impaired
Imagine how difficult it would be to use the Internet if you couldn't see your computer screen. Yet this is the challenge faced by the visually impaired when they try to join the information society by accessing the Web. The aim of the EC-funded Visual project was to develop a voice-based technology that could help users with visual disabilities to not only access, but to construct websites. A tool developed by Visual researchers also enabled web pages to be translated into the different official languages of the European Union. Project partners Soluziona, from Madrid, designed a software wizard to help inexperienced users easily create or modify XML (Extensible markup language) QTI (Question and test interoperability) files. Researchers used XML to ensure the widest possible use of the QTI, which encode data models that ensure the smooth running of computer applications. The QTI is used to represent question and test data and results reports, enabling information to be exchanged between Learning management systems (LMSs). An LMS is normally used for administration, documentation and reporting purposes and in this case can help in the exchange of author and library content. The overall goal of the Visual project was to design a voice operated system that was as effective and easy to use as a conventional keyboard. This technology can allow people with different sorts of impairments to navigate the web, not just those that are visually challenged.
