Awareness elements on collaborative online editors from the perspective of people with visual impairment

This article discusses the limits and possibilities of interaction blind users with collaborative text editors on the Web. It is characterized as a qualitative, exploratory/explanatory research, whose object of study is the implementation of live regions, accessibility tool that operates as a condition of possibility for interaction and positive interdependence among blind users and collaborative Web applications. Based on the sociocultural context of affirmation of difference and space-time of cooperation established by Web 2.0, conceptually grounded in the research area of Computer Supported Cooperative Work, this research discusses the potential for cooperation and individual and collective authorship of Groupware tools when interacting with individuals visually impaired. The results of the experiments showed a weakness about the availability of awareness elements targeted to people with visual impairment, including, lack of user identification features in synchronous and asynchronous action and absence of feedback strategies for awareness and among participants.