Scaffolding visually cluttered Web pages to facilitate accessibility

Abstract

Increasingly, rich and dynamic content and abundant links are making Web pages visually cluttered and widening the accessibility divide for the disabled and people with impairments. The adaptations approach of transforming Web pages has enabled users with diverse abilities to access a Web page. However, the challenge remains for these users to work with a Web page, particularly among people with minimal Web experience and cognitive limitations. We propose that scaffolding can allow users to learn certain skills that help them function online with greater autonomy. In the case of visually cluttered Web pages, several accessibility scaffoldings were created to enable users to learn where core content begins, how text flows in a part of a Web page, and what the overall structure of a Web page is. These scaffoldings expose the elements, pathways, and organization of a Web page that enable users to interpret and grasp the structure of a Web page. We present the concept of an accessibility scaffolding, the designs of the scaffoldings for visually cluttered pages, and user feedback from people who work with our target end-users. © 2004 ACM.