Concept of a Structural HTML Page Browser to Support Access to WWW for People with Disabilities

Objective

The objective is to produce an application that interprets html pages in a "structural" way, as an alternative or a supplement to using a graphical web browser.

Intended Users

The intended users of such an application include persons with disabilities, including blindness, low vision, mobility-impairment, and cognitive impairment. In addition, this application may also attract usage among persons new to the internet and new to computing, since it allows users to navigate World-Wide-Web pages through their structure, rather than physically navigating with a mouse through multiple screen pages.

Technical Approach

The application parses html pages into three major components:

1. Headings
2. Links (also known as "hotlinks," or pointers to other WWW locations including lower or higher branches at the current web site).
3. Text between headings, and text between one link and the next link.

Environment

The environment for this application is Windows 3.1, Windows 3.11, Windows 95, and Windows NT Workstation.

User Interface

The user is presented with a standard Windows application, using standard Windows user interface standards, including:

• mouse and keyboard equivalency;
• use of ALT key to activate selections based on the underlined letters in menu and dialog items;
• use of ESC key to cancel menus, selections;
• use of cursor keys to navigate through menus, windows, and list boxes, etc.

The main menu items include: [Note: in these menu items, underline before the letter indicates an underlined letter.]

_FILE
  _Save As Text...
  _Print...
  E_xit

_TRAVEL
  _Go To A WWW Site...
  Go To A _Local WWW Page...
  _Back
  _Forward
  _History...
  _Clear History...
  _Add Current to Hotlist
  _Manage Hotlist...

_VIEW
  _Headings and Text...
  _Links to Go To...
  Links and _Text Below Links...
  _Full Current Page

_SEARCH

  [Searches through the current web page and opens up a "Full Current 
Page" Window (as would the last item in the "View" menu).  Pressing F3 
cycles among all of the found words or strings.]  

_WINDOW
  _Cascade
  _Tile
  _1 first active window title
  _2 second active window title, etc.

_HELP

Sample Scenario

A scenario of how the application might be used:

A user wishes to access a WWW site that has a home page of http://www.sample.org/main.html The user moves to the menu bar, highlights the keyword "Travel" and cursors down to "Go To A WWW Site..."

A dialog box opens asking for the WWW location (the term URL is not used, but this is what the user types in). The user types in the WWW location, including http://www .... etc., presses enter, and a standard message window appears to confirm status (connected, could not establish connection, etc.) with an OK button highlighted. The user presses the ENTER key to clear the message window and proceed. The user then goes to the "View" menu, cursors down to "Headings," presses ENTER and then navigates through a list box of all of the headings located on the site's current web page.

Pressing ENTER on any heading opens up a notepad-like window, with a live editing cursor (and with all Windows functions, such as cut, copy, paste, etc., active). The window title is the heading name, and the window contains the selected heading at the top, and all of the text between that heading and the next heading. CTRL+F4 closes the window, or the user may keep the Window open and return to the "View" menu to see other "headings," or "links." Pressing ENTER on "Links to Go To" opens up a list box of all of the links cited on the web page, pressing ENTER on any link makes that link the current web page.

A user can navigate back by using the "Travel" menu, and select "Back." The other "View" menu selection, "Links and _Text Below Links..." presents the user with a link list box identical to that in the previous menu item, only that pressing ENTER on the link opens up a Text Window with the Link text as the window name, and the window contains the link text, followed by the full location where the link points, and by any text that occurs after the link up until the next heading or link on the web page.

Windows may be closed or left open. If left open, they can be navigated to with CTRL+F6 (change window), or CTRL+TAB, or by using the Window menu item, with numbered Windows filling the bottom of the menu list.

"FILE, Save as Text" and "FILE, Print" both have dialogs asking if ALL windows are to be saved or printed, or just the CURRENT window, or SELECTION.

On exiting the application, the user gets the option of saving currently open windows as text ... a dialog opens for each open window asking for disposition.

What's the Point?

For general audiences, this browsing helper application allows someone to quickly go to a URL, and to navigate through main headings, and to abandon that site if it is of no interest. Navigating headings alone (instead of the full web page) may be quicker for most users than paging through the physical web page. The same ease of navigation applies to Links, as well.

For users with disabilities, with existing screen reading programs, screen enlargement programs, voice input software, or other assistive hardware and software, this standard Windows application makes the WWW fully accessible, and quickly navigable. For users with and without disabilities, the helper application presents web pages in a structural view, and may be an easier way to teach web users to browse the web than with traditional web browsers.

Don Dillin
Internet: Don_Dillin@ed.gov
10-27-95