Enabling Efficient Web Data-Record Interaction for People with Visual Impairments via Proxy Interfaces

Web data records are usually accompanied by auxiliary webpage segments, such as filters, sort options, search form, and multi-page links, to enhance interaction efficiency convenience for end users. However, blind visually impaired (BVI) persons presently unable fully exploit the segments like their sighted peers, since these scattered all across screen, assistive technologies used BVI users, i.e., screen reader magnifier, not geared efficient with content. Specifically, content navigation is predominantly one-dimensional despite support skipping content, therefore navigating to-and-fro between different parts of tedious frustrating. Similarly, low vision magnifier users have continuously pan back-and-forth portions a webpage, given that only portion viewable at any instant due enlargement. The extant techniques overcome inefficient web mostly focused on general web-browsing activities, they provide little no record-specific activities filtering sorting – equally important facilitating quick easy access desired records. To fill this void, we present InSupport, browser extension that: (i) employs custom machine learning-based algorithms automatically extract containing records; (ii) provides an instantly accessible proxy one-stop interface easily extracted using either basic keyboard shortcuts or mouse actions. Evaluation studies 14 participants 16 showed significant improvement in usability driven increased reduction time user effort, compared state-of-the-art solutions.