2024-06-04: Making Web Archives More Accessible: Insights from a GAAD Perspective

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Figure: Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) banner

Introduction

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is a time to reflect, celebrate, and renew our commitment to making sure everyone can access learning and information without physical or digital barriers. This special day highlights the progress and challenges in making digital spaces accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. Since 2021, Old Dominion University Libraries have celebrated GAAD with presentations from our Computer Science faculty. This year, ODU Libraries welcome guest speakers Timothy Hackman, dean of the University Libraries, Courtney Gipson, director of ODU’s Office of Educational Accessibility, and Vikas Ashok, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science.Professor Ashok, who leads the Accessible Computing Lab at ODU, has 12 years of experience in accessible computing research. His lab focuses on making computing devices more accessible for people with visual disabilities while also ensuring they have the same technological advancements as sighted users. This work intersects Human-Computer Interaction and Artificial Intelligence. Initially focusing on visual disabilities, Professor Ashok's research has since broadened to include other disabilities, driven by the increasing reliance on digital technologies and the web. This research explores the field of web archives, which are vital to preserving the digital history of the web.

The Challenge of Web Accessibility

The challenge of web accessibility goes beyond the simple capability to retrieve information on the web for those with disabilities. As Professor Ashok points out, the evolution of web accessibility standards, such as the WCAG guidelines, has shifted from a simple checklist of requirements to a more nuanced understanding of the user experience. For visually impaired individuals, navigating a web page using assistive technologies like screen readers can be a time-consuming and cognitively demanding task. Tasks that take sighted users 1–2 minutes can take up to 5–10 minutes with a screen reader. For example, a study by Y.Prakash et al. (2023) found that visually impaired users took significantly longer to complete web-based tasks compared to sighted users. There are a lot of web developers and designers who don't know much about the WCAG rules or may only use the most basic accessibility features. Since these WCAG rules are often seen as complicated and long, it can be hard to follow them. The various needs of users with disabilities, including those with autism and ADHD, which Professor Ashok has also begun to explore in his research, further complicate the situation. The primary goal is not just to make web content accessible, but to ensure it is usable. It implies that creating web experiences can be navigated and understood with ease and comfort, regardless of a user's abilities, reducing the cognitive load and making the digital world more inclusive.

A Closer Look at Web Archives

Web archives serve as the digital world's memory, meticulously preserving the evolution of the web landscape over time. Professor Ashok's exploration into the realm of web archives is unique in that it focuses on investigating the accessibility issues faced by blind screen reader users when interacting with web archives, ensuring these archives are accessible to everyone, including individuals with visual impairments. A web archive is not just about storing data; it's about preserving the digital heritage for future generations, offering a treasure trove of information for researchers, historians, and the general public alike. The importance of web archives extends beyond mere preservation; they are invaluable tools for understanding the cultural and societal shifts reflected through the web, providing insights into past political statements, social media trends, and the evolution of digital communication.
The research conducted on various web archives — the Wayback Machine, UK Web Archive, Pandora, Trove, and Archive.today — highlights a range of accessibility and usability issues that hinder the experience for users relying on assistive technologies. From structural problems and inadequate labeling to the lack of keyboard-friendly navigation, these issues not only complicate access but also underscore the need for web archives to embrace more inclusive design principles. As digital repositories of our collective history, web archives must prioritize accessibility to ensure that the wealth of knowledge they hold is available to all, reflecting a commitment to an inclusive understanding of our digital past.


The Study's Findings

The study uncovered several critical issues that hinder effective interaction with these digital repositories. Using the IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker, the research team evaluated five major web archives: the Wayback Machine, UK Web Archive, Pandora, Trove, and Archive.today. The findings revealed that structural and form-related issues were the most prevalent across all web archives, such as improper use of headings, poorly organized tables, and inadequate labeling of form fields, making navigation cumbersome for users relying on screen readers. Additionally, these web archives have visual content often lacking alternative text, and dynamic elements like pop-ups and slideshows pose significant challenges, further complicating the user experience. The user study component of the research provided a deeper understanding of the real-world impact of these accessibility issues. Participants with severe visual disabilities, including those who are blind, were tasked with finding snapshots of web pages within the archives. The participants expressed frustration with sluggish navigation, found filters on Archive.today confusing, faced challenges in locating specific links in Archive.today and advised that for snapshot recovery, the date and website name should be combined into a single order.


Moving Forward: Recommendations and Reflections

The team continues to study the accessibility and usability of web archives, and they provide a clear roadmap for improvements that can make the archives more inclusive. One of the primary recommendations is to simplify navigation and layout, making it easier for users with visual impairments to interact with web archives. This could involve reducing the complexity of dynamic content, ensuring proper use of headings and labels, and implementing ARIA landmarks to facilitate quicker navigation. Additionally, integrating voice assistants and AI-driven tools could significantly enhance the user experience by allowing users to perform tasks through voice commands, thereby reducing the cognitive load and the number of keyboard presses required. These changes would not only make web archives more accessible but also more user-friendly, ensuring that all users can efficiently access and benefit from the wealth of information these archives hold.

The journey towards fully accessible web archives is ongoing and requires a collaborative effort from web developers, researchers, and the broader tech community. The study highlights the importance of not just adhering to accessibility guidelines but also focusing on usability to create a seamless experience for all users. This involves continuous testing and feedback from users with disabilities to identify and address specific pain points. Moreover, there is a need for greater awareness and education among web developers about the practical application of accessibility standards. By fostering a culture of inclusivity and innovation, we can bridge the accessibility gap and ensure that digital resources like web archives are truly accessible to everyone, reflecting a commitment to an inclusive digital future.


Conclusion

In conclusion, as we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in accessible computing, let's remember that accessibility is not just about meeting standards but about creating a seamless, enjoyable web experience for all users. This GAAD, let's commit to making every digital space a place where everyone can thrive.



Acknowledgment

I am writing to express my gratitude to Dr. Michael Nelson for providing extremely helpful feedback on my blog post. His deep knowledge and perceptive comments significantly enhanced the article. Additionally, I would like to thank Akshay K Nayak, Mohan Krishna Sunkara and Sandeep Kalari their support on this occasion.



-- Md Javedul Ferdous (@jaf_ferdous)

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