University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

The University of Wisconsin and partners will collaborate to develop digital library design guidelines on accessibility, usability, and utility for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users. The project is motivated by the belief that approximately 20.6 million Americans with significant vision loss cannot use digital libraries effectively due to their sight-centered design. Accessibility guidelines exist but fail to address help-seeking situations of blind and visually impaired (BVI) users in their interactions with digital libraries. Consequently, digital library providers are unable to reach the BVI community, and comply effectively with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This project generate three products: 1) digital library design guidelines, organized by types of help-seeking situations associated with accessibility, usability, and utility; 2) a report on the current status of how digital libraries satisfy BVI users' help needs; and 3) a methodology that can be applied to other underserved user groups to develop similar guidelines.