VoiceBlog: Universally designed voice browser

We developed VoiceBlog, a voice browser based on the concept of universal design. It has a cascading user interface, has a hierarchic structure, and can well parse strictly structured Web content such as blogs. We investigated whether VoiceBlog could function as a voice browser by observing blind users of VoiceBlog and then interviewing them. After using VoiceBlog for a while, most users felt that VoiceBlog made it much easier to read and understand Web content than common voice browsers. The cascading user interface is seen as one of the best methods for aural presentation. However, some users complained about the synthesized voice and key-mapping, mainly because these differed from the voice browsers' voice and key-mappings the users were familiar with. We also compared the operation logs of sighted and blind users and found that there were some differences in their demands. The results suggest that it is difficult to make one mechanism that suits both sighted and blind users. A universally designed voice browser should prepare different kinds of mechanisms (modes) and switch between them according to the users.