title: Computer and World Wide Web accessibility by visually disabled patients: problems and solutions.
abstract: Rapid advances in information technology have dramatically transformed the world during the past several decades. Access to computers and the World Wide Web is increasingly required for education and employment, as well as for many activities of daily living. Although these changes have improved society in many respects, they present an obstacle for visually disabled patients who may have significant difficulty processing the visual cues presented by modern graphical user interfaces. This article reviews the specific barriers to computer and Web access faced by visually disabled patients, describes clinical evaluation methods, summarizes traditional low vision methods as well as newer assistive computer technologies for universal accessibility, and discusses emerging technologies and future directions in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA. chiang@dbmi.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Roy G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Suhit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Gail E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Justin B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Starren
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000639:trends*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014786:Vision Disorders; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities