Blind Users and Digital Libraries

Using Digital Libraries Non-Visually: Understanding the Help-Seeking Situations of Blind Users

Iris Xie and Rakesh Babu | June 2015 (Information Research, vol. 20, no. 2)

Introduction. This study explores blind users' unique help-seeking situations in interacting with digital libraries. In particular, help-seeking situations were investigated at both the physical and cognitive levels.
Conclusion. The identified help-seeking situations reveal a gap between current digital library design practices and special needs of blind users. Practical implications for the design of help features for more blind-friendly digital libraries are suggested based on the findings.

<Full paper at http://www.informationr.net/ir/20-2/paper673.html; related link http://www.webcitation.org/6YxkcV20u (Understanding challenges in non-visual interaction with travel sites: An exploratory field study with blind users)>