Developing Digital Library Design Guidelines to Support Blind Users

ABSTRACT This study investigates the types of help-seeking situations affecting 32 blind users in interacting with five digital libraries (DLs). Multiple methods were applied to collect data: pre-questionnaires, think aloud, transaction logs, and post-questionnaires. The paper identifies 43 types of situations under three categories of physical situations and five categories of cognitive situations. Most important, DL design guidelines are created to support blind users overcoming these situations.