Is Facebook really "open" to all?

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Source of Publication

International Symposium on Technology and Society, Proceedings

Publication Date

8-23-2010

Abstract

Social interaction is important for everyone, and vital for the differently-abled and elderly. Social network applications are causing us to change our ways of communicating and working. We can now make friends all over the world, share ideas and knowledge, search for others' opinions, and more. Facebook and Twitter are examples of these applications. However, these opportunities are usually meant for people who can walk, see, and talk without difficulty. In this paper we show how blind persons, using screen readers and voice synthesizers to access the Web, can interact with social network applications. Our case study focuses on Facebook, analyzing basic features, explaining electronic barriers and suggesting solutions. © 2010 IEEE.

ISBN

9781424477753

Publisher

IEEE

First Page

327

Last Page

336

Disciplines

Computer Sciences

Keywords

Blind person, Facebook, Screen readers, Social interactions, Social Networks, Internet, Social networking (online), Technology

Scopus ID

77955689704

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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