Can We Improve Web Accessibility for Users with Below Average Cognitive Capacity?

Previous empirical work has suggested that performance in using the Web as an information resource deteriorates when the cognitive load imposed by the content of Web pages exceeds the cognitive capacity of the user [3], [7]. This problem is particularly pronounced in users with below average cognitive capacity. The work reported in this paper describes the design, rationale and development of an adaptive interface for the use of special needs and elderly users with reduced cognitive capacity. ABEL (AccessiBility and Effective Learning) conducts an assessment of the user's cognitive capacity and then selects and directs the user to Web pages which impose an appropriate level of cognitive load. ABEL incorporates an innovative means of measuring individual variation in user working memory capacity which is suitable for special needs and elderly users. ABEL is likely to improve Web accessibility for educational and recreational purposes particularly for groups for whom Web use has previously been found to be problematic.