[Archived] Call for Papers: User Modeling for Accessibility
Online Symposium 15 July 2013
Page Contents
Invitation
The W3C WAI Research and Development Working Group (RDWG) invites you to contribute to the online symposium on user modeling for accessibility.
Symposium date: 15 July 2013
Abstract submission date: 9 June 2013 (updated)
Accepted papers will be published online in an attributable form as part of the symposium proceedings. Authors of accepted papers will be invited to participate in the symposium panel.
Introduction
This online symposium invites researchers, practitioners, and users with disabilities, to explore current and past research experiences related to user modeling for accessibility. User modeling is an approach for generating and adapting user interfaces to address particular user needs and preferences. The goal of the symposium is to analyze different methods and implementations of user modeling and their potential usage for improving accessibility for people with disabilities. This includes the design, creation, storage, and usage of user models, in particular in web browsers, applications, authoring tools, and other aspects of the Web.
See the main User Modeling for Accessibility Symposium page for more on background and objectives.
Important Dates
- 9 June 2013: Deadline for paper submissions
- 22 June 2013: Author notifications
- 28 June 2013: Deadline for publication-ready papers
- 1 July 2013: Registration opens
- 15 July 2013: Online symposium event, probably 14:00-16:00 UTC (times in different locations)
Scope
Users: The primary focus is on people with disabilities, including people with age-related accessibility needs. Impact on other users including mainstream usability impact is welcome as well.
Tools: Another main focus is on research and existing applications of adaptive, customizable, and personalized systems that enhance accessibility of web-related products and services for people with disabilities.
Technologies: Technologies used for building user models and storing user profile information. This also includes technologies for exchanging user profile information and addressing privacy concerns.
Standards: Primarily standards for user models that describe accessibility related information, but also standards for user models in other domains that are related to accessibility.
Contributions
We invite researchers, practitioners, users, and others to submit research and position papers that address the following issues and challenges:
- Technological challenges in user modeling
- What are the most common formats (declarative, semantic web based) used for data storage of user profiles, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?
- How interoperable are existing user models and profiles for users with disabilities?
- What are the most common technologies for exchanging profile information between different models, and what are their advantages and disadvantages?
- What are the most common techniques for calibration and validation?
- Gaps and challenges in user modeling for accessibility
- Which groups of users lack sufficient research on user needs and how can user modeling help address these users?
- Which groups of users are already covered by existing user models?
- Can we transfer knowledge on user needs in between groups?
- Can we transfer knowledge on user needs from user modeling used in other domains? (e.g. e-learning)
- Standardization related to user modeling
- What approaches and standards exist for modeling users with disabilities?
- How do approaches and standards from other domains relate to accessibility?
- What are the challenges in integrating accessibility information in those approaches and standards?
- What can we learn from prior standardization activitiies on user modeling in other domains?
- Application of user modeling for accessibility
- What are the main challenges in adopting user modeling solutions for accessibility?
- What approaches exist to help address privacy concerns and exposure of sensistive data?
- What are the challenges in users' control over their profile information?
We particularly welcome submissions that describe:
- Empirical (lab-based or ethnographic) studies.
- Evaluations of systems utilizing user modeling.
- Specific recommendations for design, development, and usage of user models.
Paper Submission
Paper submission closes on 6 June 2013.
Papers should be extended abstracts of about 1,000 words. We encourage concise contributions that are scientifically sound with appropriate references. Papers should clearly explain the:
- Problem addressed
- Relevant background
- Approach - how was the problem addressed, what methodologies were used, what strategies were pursued to address the problem
- Challenges - major obstacles or difficulties found during the process or that could be encountered in the way forward
- Outcomes
- Future research
Papers must be submitted in the template provided (.doc format), and must be accessible.
The paper submission form asks for: author information, alternate contact, topic areas (based on the contributions section above), keywords, and abstract.
Review Process
Contributions will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee and each paper will get at least three independent reviews for criteria including relevance, clarity, soundness and power of the arguments, understanding of user needs, and contribution to knowledge about user modeling for accessibility. Papers will be accepted based on this criteria and space availability.
Copyright Policy
Accepted papers will be published online in an attributable form as part of the symposium proceedings.
(For more information, see the FAQ sections RDWG Publications and RDWG Practice for Writership and Credits.)
The Symposium Report will be published under the W3C Document License. Paper authors shall grant W3C a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free, world-wide right and license to copy, publish, use, and modify the contribution and to distribute the contribution under a BSD License or one with more restrictive terms, as well as a right and license of the same scope to any derivative works prepared by the W3C and based on, or incorporating all or part of the contribution. The Contributor further agrees that any derivative works of this contribution prepared by the W3C shall be solely owned by the W3C.