Abstract:

In today’s information era, the World Wide Web has become a major source of information which people can access via Web browsers. While Web browsers are readily available to all ordinary computer users, most blind computer users use screen readers to access this information. These screen readers usually read out textual Web page contents in sequential order. In many cases this approach hides the page structures and did not give blind users a clear idea on the page layout. This paper discusses an innovative webpage reader called Universal Talk (UTalk). This webpage reader has the capabilities to retain the structure of the important Web page elements such as tables, lists, and forms. UTalk is designed with the Arabic speaking users in mind so it can recognize and interpret both Arabic and English texts. We have adapted a user-centered design approach with the main aim for producing software that truly meets the needs of its users.

Keywords:

UTalk, Arabic Webpage Reader, User-Centered Design, Web Accessibility, Universal Access.