Effective Non-visual Access to Diagrams via an Augmented Natural Language Interface

Abstract

This paper describes the design and validation of a number of HCI techniques that enable more effective non-visual access to diagrammatically displayed data through an adapted Natural Language Interface (NLI). These techniques have been incorporated into an accessible web-based NLI to diagrams prototype and qualitatively evaluated with blind persons for solving disparate analytical and navigational tasks supported by diagrams. Each technique is described and validation results discussed.