Auditory navigation in hyperspace: Design and evaluation of a non-visual hypermedia system for blind users

Auditory Interfaces and Sonification

“…is makes it clear that developing an auditory interface is, in all regards, a design task, with all the inherent diffi culties associated with design. It is encouraging, however, that other research has shown that users can be very satisfi ed with abstract, nonspeech sounds similar to those used by Bonebright and Nees (e.g., Morley et al, 1999).…”

“…Researchers have further suggested that the transient nature of auditory displays may impose inordinate burdens on memory (Frauenberger, Stockman, and Bourguet, 2007b;Morley et al, 1999), a concern that warrants a consideration of the impact of cognitive abilities (e.g., memory, attention, etc.) on auditory display performance.…”

“…e SWAN project encountered logistical constraints beyond the auditory interface itself, including technical limitations such as unreliability in sensors (e.g., the fallibility of GPS and other technologies that attempt to precisely determine a mobile user's location) as well as practical limitations in battery power, size, and durability of a wearable, mobile computer (also see Chapter 11, "Handheld Devices and Mobile Phones," in this volume). Similarly, many attempts at auditory interfaces have been coupled with custom input devices (e.g., Morley et al, 1999;Winberg and Hellstrom, 2003), but such improvisations may not be necessary to the success of an auditory interface. While novel or emerging hardware technologies may eventually transform many of the ways in which people interact with a system (see Chapter 29, "Virtual Mouse and Keyboard for Text Entry," and Chapter 33, "Haptic Interaction," in this volume), existing, off -the-shelf capabilities of most hardware already allows for the implementation of auditory interfaces that could off er enhanced accessibility for many users.…”

“…Perhaps more important, however, an increasing awareness of the shortcomings and limitations of traditional visual interfaces has spurred research on sound as a viable mode of information display. Nonspeech audio cues have been implemented to varying degrees in interface design, ranging from nonspeech audio as a complement or supplement to existing visual displays (e.g., Brown, Newsome, and Glinert, 1989;Brewster, 1997), to hybrid systems that integrate nonspeech audio with other audio technologies (e.g., screen readers; see Morley et al, 1999;Stockman, Hind, and Frauenberger, 2005). Attempts have even been made to develop interfaces (usually for the visually impaired) where feedback and interaction are driven primarily by sounds (e.g., Bonebright and Nees, in press;Edwards, 1989aEdwards, , 1989bMynatt, 1997).…”

User-Interface Modelling for Blind Users

“…In any case, it is essential, as pointed out by Moreley [3], to examine the fundamental accessibility issues for blind people at length and define appropriate usability guidelines in order to design an interface suited for use by blind people. These guidelines, which should be based on experimental evidence [4], should be formulated not only as general design principles or low-level and platform-specific recommendations, but should also be added to the actual HCI models that define a user interface.…”