{"title":"了解屏幕阅读器插件的用法,生命周期和机会","authors":"Farhani Momotaz, Md Ehtesham-Ul-Haque, Syed Masum Billah","doi":"10.1145/3582697","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Screen reader plugins are small pieces of code that blind users can download and install to enhance the capabilities of their screen readers. This article aims to understand why blind users use these plugins, as well as how these plugins are developed, deployed, and maintained. To this end, we conducted an interview study with 14 blind users to gain individual perspectives and analyzed 2,000 online posts scraped from three plugin-related forums to gain the community perspective. Our study revealed that screen reader users rely on plugins for various reasons, such as to improve the usability of screen readers and application software, to make partially accessible applications accessible, and to receive custom auditory feedback. Furthermore, installing plugins is easy; uninstalling them is unlikely; and finding them online is ad hoc, challenging, and sometimes poses security threats. In addition, developing screen reader plugins is technically demanding; only a handful of people develop plugins. Unfortunately, most plugins do not receive updates once distributed and become obsolete. The lack of financial incentives plays in the slow growth of the plugin ecosystem. Further, we outlined the complex, tripartite collaboration among individual blind users, their online communities, and developer communities in creating a plugin. Additionally, we reported several phenomena within and between these communities that are likely to influence a plugin’s development. Based on our findings, we recommend creating a community-driven repository for all plugins hosted on a peer-to-peer infrastructure, engaging third-party developers, and raising general awareness about the benefits and dangers of plugins. We believe our findings will inspire HCI researchers to embrace the plugin-based distribution model as an effective way to combat accessibility and usability problems in non-visual interaction and to investigate potential ways to improve the collaboration between blind users and developer communities.","PeriodicalId":54128,"journal":{"name":"ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing","volume":"27 1","pages":"1 - 35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Understanding the Usages, Lifecycle, and Opportunities of Screen Readers’ Plugins\",\"authors\":\"Farhani Momotaz, Md Ehtesham-Ul-Haque, Syed Masum Billah\",\"doi\":\"10.1145/3582697\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"Screen reader plugins are small pieces of code that blind users can download and install to enhance the capabilities of their screen readers. This article aims to understand why blind users use these plugins, as well as how these plugins are developed, deployed, and maintained. To this end, we conducted an interview study with 14 blind users to gain individual perspectives and analyzed 2,000 online posts scraped from three plugin-related forums to gain the community perspective. Our study revealed that screen reader users rely on plugins for various reasons, such as to improve the usability of screen readers and application software, to make partially accessible applications accessible, and to receive custom auditory feedback. Furthermore, installing plugins is easy; uninstalling them is unlikely; and finding them online is ad hoc, challenging, and sometimes poses security threats. In addition, developing screen reader plugins is technically demanding; only a handful of people develop plugins. Unfortunately, most plugins do not receive updates once distributed and become obsolete. The lack of financial incentives plays in the slow growth of the plugin ecosystem. Further, we outlined the complex, tripartite collaboration among individual blind users, their online communities, and developer communities in creating a plugin. Additionally, we reported several phenomena within and between these communities that are likely to influence a plugin’s development. Based on our findings, we recommend creating a community-driven repository for all plugins hosted on a peer-to-peer infrastructure, engaging third-party developers, and raising general awareness about the benefits and dangers of plugins. We believe our findings will inspire HCI researchers to embrace the plugin-based distribution model as an effective way to combat accessibility and usability problems in non-visual interaction and to investigate potential ways to improve the collaboration between blind users and developer communities.\",\"PeriodicalId\":54128,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing\",\"volume\":\"27 1\",\"pages\":\"1 - 35\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":2.5000,\"publicationDate\":\"2023-02-02\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.1145/3582697\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q3\",\"JCRName\":\"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1145/3582697","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS","Score":null,"Total":0}
Understanding the Usages, Lifecycle, and Opportunities of Screen Readers’ Plugins
Screen reader plugins are small pieces of code that blind users can download and install to enhance the capabilities of their screen readers. This article aims to understand why blind users use these plugins, as well as how these plugins are developed, deployed, and maintained. To this end, we conducted an interview study with 14 blind users to gain individual perspectives and analyzed 2,000 online posts scraped from three plugin-related forums to gain the community perspective. Our study revealed that screen reader users rely on plugins for various reasons, such as to improve the usability of screen readers and application software, to make partially accessible applications accessible, and to receive custom auditory feedback. Furthermore, installing plugins is easy; uninstalling them is unlikely; and finding them online is ad hoc, challenging, and sometimes poses security threats. In addition, developing screen reader plugins is technically demanding; only a handful of people develop plugins. Unfortunately, most plugins do not receive updates once distributed and become obsolete. The lack of financial incentives plays in the slow growth of the plugin ecosystem. Further, we outlined the complex, tripartite collaboration among individual blind users, their online communities, and developer communities in creating a plugin. Additionally, we reported several phenomena within and between these communities that are likely to influence a plugin’s development. Based on our findings, we recommend creating a community-driven repository for all plugins hosted on a peer-to-peer infrastructure, engaging third-party developers, and raising general awareness about the benefits and dangers of plugins. We believe our findings will inspire HCI researchers to embrace the plugin-based distribution model as an effective way to combat accessibility and usability problems in non-visual interaction and to investigate potential ways to improve the collaboration between blind users and developer communities.
期刊介绍:
Computer and information technologies have re-designed the way modern society operates. Their widespread use poses both opportunities and challenges for people who experience various disabilities including age-related disabilities. That is, while there are new avenues to assist individuals with disabilities and provide tools and resources to alleviate the traditional barriers encountered by these individuals, in many cases the technology itself presents barriers to use. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS) is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal that publishes refereed articles addressing issues of computing that seek to address barriers to access, either creating new solutions or providing for the more inclusive design of technology to provide access for individuals with diverse abilities. The journal provides a technical forum for disseminating innovative research that covers either applications of computing and information technologies to provide assistive systems or inclusive technologies for individuals with disabilities. Some examples are web accessibility for those with visual impairments and blindness as well as web search explorations for those with limited cognitive abilities, technologies to address stroke rehabilitation or dementia care, language support systems deaf signers or those with limited language abilities, and input systems for individuals with limited ability to control traditional mouse and keyboard systems. The journal is of particular interest to SIGACCESS members and delegates to its affiliated conference (i.e., ASSETS) as well as other international accessibility conferences. It serves as a forum for discussions and information exchange between researchers, clinicians, and educators; including rehabilitation personnel who administer assistive technologies; and policy makers concerned with equitable access to information technologies.