title: Investigating the usability of a screen reader and mental models of blind users in the Windows environment.
abstract: The study explored blind users' mental models and strategies in coping with the Windows environment and investigated the relationship between users' mental models and usability problems they face when using a screen reader. The study found that blind users possess a functional or structural mental model or a combination thereof. Blind users also have a rich and highly procedural strategy for coping with a new Windows environment and application. Users' established mental models developed from using a familiar screen reader were found to contribute to problems in using a new screen reader.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computation, UMIST, PO Box 88, Manchester M60 1QD, UK. s.kurniawan@co.umist.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sri H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kurniawan
authors.forename: Alistair G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Sutcliffe
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Blenkhorn
authors.forename: Jae-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D008606:Mental Processes; D014584:User-Computer Interface