Investigating sighted users' browsing behaviour to assist web accessibility

Abstract

The rapid advancement of World Wide Web (Web) technology and constant need for attractive Websites produce pages that hinder visually impaired users. We assert that understanding how sighted users browse Web pages can provide important information that will enhance Web Accessibility, especially for visually impaired users. We present an eye tracking study where sighted users' browsing behaviour on nine Web pages was investigated to determine how the page's visual clutter is related to sighted users' browsing patterns. The results show that salient elements attract users' attention first, users spend more time on the main content of the page and users tend to fixate on the first three or four items on the menu lists. Common gaze patterns begin at the salient elements of the page, move to the main content, header, right column and left column of the page and finish at the footer area. We argue that the results should be used as the initial step for proposing guidelines that assist in designing and transforming Web pages for an easier and faster access for visually impaired users.

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