The Web has been a blessing for visually impaired users as with the help of assistive technologies such as screen readers, they can access previously inaccessible information independently. However, for screen reader users, web-based information seeking can still be challenging as web pages are mainly designed for visual interaction. This affects visually impaired users’ perception of theWeb as an information space as well as their experience of search interfaces. The aim of this thesis is therefore to consider visually impaired users’ information seeking behaviour, abilities and interactions via screen readers in the design of a search interface to support complex information seeking. We first conduct a review of how visually impaired users navigate the Web using screen readers. We highlight the strategies employed, the challenges encountered and the solutions to enhance web navigation through screen readers. We then investigate the information seeking behaviour of visually impaired users on the Web through an observational study and we compare this behaviour to that of sighted users to examine the impact of screen reader interaction on the information seeking process. To engage visually impaired users in the design process, we propose and evaluate a novel participatory approach based on a narrative scenario and a dialogue-led interaction to verify user requirements and to brainstorm design ideas. The development of the search interface is informed by the requirements gathered from the observational study and is supported through the inclusion of visually impaired users in the design process. We implement and evaluate the proposed search interface with novel features to support visually impaired users for complex information seeking. This thesis shows that considerations for information seeking behaviour and users’ abilities and mode of interaction contribute significantly to the design of search user interfaces to ensure that interface components are accessible as well as usable.

More information is now readily available to computer users than at any time in human history; however, much of this information is often inaccessible to people with blindness or low-vision, for whom information must be presented non-visually. Currently, screen readers are able to verbalize on-screen text using text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis; however, much of this vocalization is inadequate for browsing the Internet. An auditory interface that incorporates auditory-spatial orientation was created and tested. For information that can be structured as a two-dimensional table, links can be semantically grouped as cells in a row within an auditory table, which provides a consistent structure for auditory navigation. An auditory display prototype was tested. Sixteen legally blind subjects participated in this research study. Results demonstrated that stereo panning was an effective technique for audio-spatially orienting non-visual navigation in a five-row, six-column HTML table as compared to a centered, stationary synthesized voice. These results were based on measuring the time- to-target (TTT), or the amount of time elapsed from the first prompting to the selection of each tabular link. Preliminary analysis of the TTT values recorded during the experiment showed that the populations did not conform to the ANOVA requirements of normality and equality of variances. Therefore, the data were transformed using the natural logarithm. The repeated-measures two-factor ANOVA results show that the logarithmically-transformed TTTs were significantly affected by the tonal variation method, F(1,15) = 6.194, p= 0.025. Similarly, the results show that the logarithmically transformed TTTs were marginally affected by the stereo spatialization method, F(1,15) = 4.240, p=0.057. The results show that the logarithmically transformed TTTs were not significantly affected by the interaction of both methods, F(1,15) = 1.381, p=0.258. These results suggest that some confusion may be caused in the subject when employing both of these methods simultaneously. The significant effect of tonal variation indicates that the effect is actually increasing the average TTT. In other words, the presence of preceding tones increases task completion time on average. The marginally-significant effect of stereo spatialization decreases the average log(TTT) from 2.405 to 2.264.

Submitted by ANDERSON ROGÉRIO CAMPANA null (anderson.campana@gmail.com) on 2017-05-22T22:57:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ANÁLISE DA QUALIDADE E USABILIDADE DOS SOFTWARES LEITORES DE TELA VISANDO A ACESSIBILIDADE TECNOLÓGICA ÀS PESSOAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA VISUAL.pdf: 2875781 bytes, checksum: d5da350405e9e939d862738e19c7ded5 (MD5) / Rejected by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com), reason: Solicitamos que realize uma nova submissão seguindo a orientação abaixo: O arquivo submetido está sem a ficha catalográfica. A versão submetida por você é considerada a versão final da dissertação/tese, portanto não poderá ocorrer qualquer alteração em seu conteúdo após a aprovação. Corrija esta informação e realize uma nova submissão com o arquivo correto. Agradecemos a compreensão. on 2017-05-23T17:44:43Z (GMT) / Submitted by ANDERSON ROGÉRIO CAMPANA null (anderson.campana@gmail.com) on 2017-05-25T15:12:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ANÁLISE DA QUALIDADE E USABILIDADE DOS SOFTWARES LEITORES DE TELA VISANDO A ACESSIBILIDADE TECNOLÓGICA ÀS PESSOAS COM DEFICIÊNCIA VISUAL.pdf: 2892714 bytes, checksum: 154719b0dcd0bcd8755b720f890dd812 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by LUIZA DE MENEZES ROMANETTO (luizamenezes@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2017-05-30T12:56:38Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 campana_ar_me_bauru.pdf: 2892714 bytes, checksum: 154719b0dcd0bcd8755b720f890dd812 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-30T12:56:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 campana_ar_me_bauru.pdf: 2892714 bytes, checksum: 154719b0dcd0bcd8755b720f890dd812 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-20 / O deficiente visual é o público alvo da pesquisa, pois quando se fala em necessidades especiais, encontramos pessoas com as mais diversas precisões que carecem de alternativas de acesso as tecnologias em seu cotidiano. No decorrer deste trabalho tratamos sobre a deficiência visual, a legislação e demais dados pertinentes ao indivíduo com deficiência visual, que pode ser definido como pessoa que possui perda total ou parcial, congênita ou adquirida de sua visão. Abordamos quais tecnologias digitais estão disponíveis para inclusão dos deficientes visuais, momento em que foi sistematizada as análises sobre os softwares leitores de tela mais utilizados na atualidade por esse público alvo. Dando sequência, para possibilitar as análises da qualidade e usabilidade destes softwares, utilizamos as Normas NBR ISO/IEC 9128 e NBR ISO/IEC 14598 que regulamentam a questão de qualidade e usabilidade do produto de software. Posteriormente, com base nessas normas, foi então elaborado e aplicado um questionário para os deficientes visuais analisarem a qualidade e usabilidade dos softwares leitores de tela que eles utilizam no dia-a-dia. Com base nos resultados obtidos, elencamos sugestões para melhoria desses produtos, contribuições estas que poderão ser utilizadas por desenvolvedores para que cada dia mais se alcance a busca da efetiva acessibilidade para os deficientes visuais. / The visually impaired (a blind person) is the target of this research, because when we talk about special needs, we find people with the most diverse needs of alternatives to access the technologies in their daily lives. n the course of this work, we deal with a visual impairment, legislation and other data related to individuals with visual impairment, which can be defined as the person who has total or partial, congenital or acquired vision. We approached which digital technologies are available for the inclusion of the visually impaired, at the moment in which the analyzes on the software’s screen readers most used in the present time by this target audience. In order to make possible the analysis of the quality and usability of these software, we use the standards NBR ISO/IEC 9128 e NBR ISO/IEC 14598, which regulate the issue of quality and usability of the software product. Subsequently, based on these standards, a questionnaire was then prepared and applied for the visually impaired to analyze the quality and usability of the screen readers software that they use in their everyday life. Based on the results obtained, we list a couple suggestions for improvement of these products, and some contributions that can be used by developers so that each day more people can reach the search for effective accessibility for the visually impaired.

<p>The study investigates the user experience of visually impaired people using screen readers, concentrating on their accessibility and usability when navigating digital content. Screen readers are indispensable instruments for the blind and visually impaired, facilitating the completion of online tasks and access to information. While screen readers offer benefits such as customization and accessibility, they also present users with challenges such as cognitive burden, sequential navigation, and limitations with multimedia content.</p><p>The research takes a user-centric approach, taking into account the particular requirements and preferences of visually impaired users. By conducting empirical research, the study gains valuable insights into the experiences, requirements, and pain points of screen reader users. The objective is to identify areas for enhancement and create solutions that enhance the user's efficiency and satisfaction.</p><p>Recognizing the diverse subcategories within the visually impaired population, the thesis argues for design approaches that are tailored to specific needs. In addition, the incorporation of existing artificial intelligence systems, such as image caption generation and text extraction, is investigated to improve the functionality and usability of screen readers.</p><p>Through this research, the thesis emphasizes the significance of creating digital content that is both functional and accessible. By embracing the curb cut effect and incorporating empirical research findings, developers can cultivate a more inclusive and equitable online environment for all users, thereby promoting inclusivity and ensuring that visually impaired users can effectively interact with digital content.</p>

Nowadays, a lot of activities such as social communications, educational courses, banking processes, different types of entertainment, online registrations and many more are done through Internet websites. Millions of users use these websites to maintain their daily needs. The challenge in front is that these websites are getting more and more complex, and the need to have well-designed websites becomes more important and at the same time more difficult. Knowledge of usability and accessibility according to the user needs can help designing more convenient while competent websites. It is essential to know that users with different levels of ability may visit a website. They should be able to easily interact with the website based on their abilities, likes and dislikes. Users usually leave the website early if they find it difficult to handle. They may look after easier and more practical solutions to do what they need to do. So it is somehow important to design websites by considering all levels of abilities and disabilities. Therefore, there are standards that must be followed by designers. Basically, usability experts define standards for making a website operational for a vast range of users by reducing the sources of complexity which potentially lead to a problem. Standards set by experts for accessibility aspects mainly focus on making a website more approachable to a bigger portion of users including users with disabilities. This thesis investigates the role of HTML5 markup language in improving the accessibility of the websites. To achieve that, the main factors of accessibility in designing websites are considered and based on that the evaluation has been performed. To gain more applicable results, this thesis concentrates on screen readers as a kind of assistive technologies. The results illustrate that HTML5 markup language can improve the accessibility of a website design. Currently, there are still some difficulties to overcome, for example, browsers lack support for HTML5 and the screen readers are not as effective as they are needed to be. This probably means that we still need more research to find optimal ways of constructing websites with a perfect accessibility and usability for screen readers. / Numera finns en hel del aktiviteter såsom social kommunikation, utbildningar, bankprocesser, olika typer av underhållning, online registreringar och många fler som sker genom webbplatser på Internet. Miljontals användare använder dessa webbplatser för sina dagliga behov. Utmaningen är att dessa webbplatser blir mer och mer komplexa, och behovet av att ha väl utformade webbplatser blir både viktigare och samtidigt svårare. Kunskap om användbarhet och tillgänglighet enligt användarnas behov kan hjälpa till att designa webbplatser som samtidigt är både bekväma och kompetenta. Det är viktigt att användare med olika förmågor kan besöka en webbplats. De bör enkelt kunna interagera med webbplatsen med utgångspunkt från sina förmågor och preferenser. Användare lämnar vanligtvis webbplatsen tidigt om de har svårt att hantera den. De kan se sig om efter enklare och mer praktiska lösningar för att göra vad de behöver göra. Så det är någorlunda viktigt att utforma webbsidor genom att beakta alla nivåer av förmågor och handikapp. Därför finns det normer som måste följas av designers. Användbarhetsexperter definierar standarder för att göra en webbplats nyttig för ett stort antal användare genom att minska orsaker till komplexitet som potentiellt leder till problem. Normer som fastställts av experter på tillgänglighetsaspekter fokuserar huvudsakligen på att göra en webbplats mer tillgänglig för en större del av användarna, inklusive användare med funktionshinder. Denna rapport undersöker betydelsen av HTML5 med avseende på att förbättra tillgängligheten av webbplatser. För att uppnå detta, har de viktigaste faktorerna för tillgänglighet i utformning av webbsidor beaktats och grundat på det har en utvärdering genomförts. För att få mer applicerbara resultat, fokuserar denna rapport på skärmläsare som ett hjälpmedel. Resultaten visar att HTML5 kan förbättra tillgängligheten hos en webbdesign. För närvarande finns det fortfarande vissa svårigheter att övervinna, till exempel att webbläsare saknar stöd för HTML5 och att skärmläsare är inte lika effektiva som de behöver vara. Detta innebär förmodligen att vi fortfarande behöver mer forskning för att hitta optimala sätt att bygga webbplatser med perfekt tillgänglighet och användbarhet för skärmläsare.

Ao pensarmos no Ensino de Física voltado aos alunos com deficiência visual, a linguagem matemática mostra-se desafiadora, pois sua sintaxe bidimensional, essencialmente simbólica, restringe-a a uma \"cultura de videntes\". Com o desenvolvimento dos ledores de tela, tornou-se possível o acesso ao computador por pessoas com deficiência visual. No entanto a linguagem matemática convencional oferece certas barreiras à acessibilidade. O problema central de nossa investigação foi: Quais as possibilidades e limitações ao se introduzir a linguagem LaTeX, associada à softwares ledores de tela, na mediação de processos ativos de leitura e resolução de problemas de Física, por meio do computador, que envolvam expressões matemáticas? Segundo Vigotski, a mediação simbólica é o pilar central da relação do homem com o meio ambiente e com próprio homem, por meio da qual as funções psicológicas superiores se desenvolvem. Vigotski caracteriza o processo de mediação por meio de dois elementos: O instrumento, que regula as ações sobre os objetos, e o signo, que regula as ações sobre o intelecto das pessoas. O trabalho foi estruturado sob as bases da pesquisa qualitativa, sendo a interpretação dos dados baseada na Análise do Discurso em Bakhtin. Para Bakhtin, o processo da comunicação passa pela \"compreensão\" e posteriormente pela \"resposta\", cujos interlocutores saem da condição de somente ouvintes e passam a ter uma atitude \"responsiva ativa\", devendo considerar como \"unidade real da comunicação verbal\", não a palavra, mas o \"enunciado\". Para a primeira etapa, em que submetemos quatro softwares ledores de tela (NVDA, ORCA, JAWS e VIRTUAL VISION) à leitura de sentenças matemáticas presentes em textos de Física, os resultados mostraram que as principais barreiras à acessibilidade estavam concentradas em elementos gráficos e na linguagem matemática. Ao testarmos a acessibilidade dos ledores de tela com expressões matemáticas baseada no padrão QWERTY, o resultado foi a leitura integral de cada caractere por parte deles. Assim, o problema central da acessibilidade a conteúdos matemáticos presentes em textos de Física, não estava nos ledores de tela, mas na própria linguagem matemática. O objetivo foi chamar a atenção para uma linguagem de programação bastante difundida no meio acadêmico, principalmente na Física e Matemática, a Linguagem LaTeX, na diminuição de barreiras no uso do computador por alunos com deficiência visual em aulas de Física. Na segunda etapa, em que introduzimos a Linguagem LaTeX no contexto do processo ativo de leitura e resolução de problemas de Física por dois alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública, a nova linguagem não somente mostrou-se acessível como compreensível por parte deles. Assim, destacamos como potencialidades da linguagem LaTeX: Compor-se de caracteres textuais, acessíveis aos dispositivos OCR; Possuir padrão de escrita linear, portanto simplificado; Possuir códigos curtos e intuitivos, facilitando sua memorização e utilização. Em se tratando de uma linguagem padronizada, suas limitações estavam relacionadas à sua estrutura, ou seja, o fato de os códigos serem escritos em Inglês e as expressões matemáticas escritas dentro de ambientes matemáticos, o que dificulta o processo de interiorização e aplicação dessa nova linguagem por parte dos alunos. / When we think about the Physics Teaching facing students with visual impairments, the mathematical language show it challenging because its twodimensional syntax, essentially symbolic, it\'s restricted to a \"sighted people culture\". With the development of screen readers, it became possible computer access by people with visual impairments. However the conventional mathematical language offers certain barriers to accessibility. The central problem of our research was: What are the possibilities and limitations to introduce the LaTeX language associated with screen reader softwares, in the mediation of active processes of reading and solving physics problems, via computer, involving mathematical expressions? According to Vygotsky, the symbolic mediation is the central pillar of human\'s relationship with the environment and human himself, through which the higher mental functions develop. Vygotsky characterizes the mediation process by means of two elements: The instrument, which regulates the actions on objects, and the sign, which regulates the actions of the people intellect. The work was structured under the qualitative research basis, with data interpretation based on the discourse analysis on Bakhtin. For Bakhtin, the communication process involves the \"understanding\" and later the \"answer\", whose interlocutors leave the condition of hearers only and he starts to have an \"active responsive\" attitude and should be considered as \"real unity of verbal communication,\" not the word, but the \"enunciation\". For the first step, when we submit four screen readers software (NVDA, ORCA, JAWS and VIRTUAL VISION) the reading of mathematical sentences inserted in physics texts, the results showed that the main barriers to accessibility were concentrated in graphics and mathematics language. In testing the accessibility of screen readers with mathematical expressions based on the standard QWERTY, the result was the complete reading of each character from them. Thus, the central problem of accessibility to mathematical contents in physics texts, was not in the screen readers, but in the mathematical language. The objective was to attract attention to a widespread programming language in academia, especially in physics and mathematics, the LaTeX language, to reduce the barriers to computer use by students with visual impairment in Physics classes. In the second stage, when we introduce the LaTeX language in the context of the active process of reading and solving physics problems by two high school students from a public school, the new language not only proved to be accessible as understandable by them. Thus, we highlight as potential of LaTeX language: it\'s composed of textual characters, accessible to OCR devices; Owning linear writing standard, thus simplified; Have shorter and intuitive codes, making it easy to memorize and use. In the case of a standardized language, its limitations were related to its structure, for example, the fact that the codes were written in English and mathematical expressions written in mathematical environments, which complicates the process of internalization and application of this new language by the students.

Ao pensarmos no Ensino de Física voltado aos alunos com deficiência visual, a linguagem matemática mostra-se desafiadora, pois sua sintaxe bidimensional, essencialmente simbólica, restringe-a a uma \"cultura de videntes\". Com o desenvolvimento dos ledores de tela, tornou-se possível o acesso ao computador por pessoas com deficiência visual. No entanto a linguagem matemática convencional oferece certas barreiras à acessibilidade. O problema central de nossa investigação foi: Quais as possibilidades e limitações ao se introduzir a linguagem LaTeX, associada à softwares ledores de tela, na mediação de processos ativos de leitura e resolução de problemas de Física, por meio do computador, que envolvam expressões matemáticas? Segundo Vigotski, a mediação simbólica é o pilar central da relação do homem com o meio ambiente e com próprio homem, por meio da qual as funções psicológicas superiores se desenvolvem. Vigotski caracteriza o processo de mediação por meio de dois elementos: O instrumento, que regula as ações sobre os objetos, e o signo, que regula as ações sobre o intelecto das pessoas. O trabalho foi estruturado sob as bases da pesquisa qualitativa, sendo a interpretação dos dados baseada na Análise do Discurso em Bakhtin. Para Bakhtin, o processo da comunicação passa pela \"compreensão\" e posteriormente pela \"resposta\", cujos interlocutores saem da condição de somente ouvintes e passam a ter uma atitude \"responsiva ativa\", devendo considerar como \"unidade real da comunicação verbal\", não a palavra, mas o \"enunciado\". Para a primeira etapa, em que submetemos quatro softwares ledores de tela (NVDA, ORCA, JAWS e VIRTUAL VISION) à leitura de sentenças matemáticas presentes em textos de Física, os resultados mostraram que as principais barreiras à acessibilidade estavam concentradas em elementos gráficos e na linguagem matemática. Ao testarmos a acessibilidade dos ledores de tela com expressões matemáticas baseada no padrão QWERTY, o resultado foi a leitura integral de cada caractere por parte deles. Assim, o problema central da acessibilidade a conteúdos matemáticos presentes em textos de Física, não estava nos ledores de tela, mas na própria linguagem matemática. O objetivo foi chamar a atenção para uma linguagem de programação bastante difundida no meio acadêmico, principalmente na Física e Matemática, a Linguagem LaTeX, na diminuição de barreiras no uso do computador por alunos com deficiência visual em aulas de Física. Na segunda etapa, em que introduzimos a Linguagem LaTeX no contexto do processo ativo de leitura e resolução de problemas de Física por dois alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública, a nova linguagem não somente mostrou-se acessível como compreensível por parte deles. Assim, destacamos como potencialidades da linguagem LaTeX: Compor-se de caracteres textuais, acessíveis aos dispositivos OCR; Possuir padrão de escrita linear, portanto simplificado; Possuir códigos curtos e intuitivos, facilitando sua memorização e utilização. Em se tratando de uma linguagem padronizada, suas limitações estavam relacionadas à sua estrutura, ou seja, o fato de os códigos serem escritos em Inglês e as expressões matemáticas escritas dentro de ambientes matemáticos, o que dificulta o processo de interiorização e aplicação dessa nova linguagem por parte dos alunos. / When we think about the Physics Teaching facing students with visual impairments, the mathematical language show it challenging because its twodimensional syntax, essentially symbolic, it\'s restricted to a \"sighted people culture\". With the development of screen readers, it became possible computer access by people with visual impairments. However the conventional mathematical language offers certain barriers to accessibility. The central problem of our research was: What are the possibilities and limitations to introduce the LaTeX language associated with screen reader softwares, in the mediation of active processes of reading and solving physics problems, via computer, involving mathematical expressions? According to Vygotsky, the symbolic mediation is the central pillar of human\'s relationship with the environment and human himself, through which the higher mental functions develop. Vygotsky characterizes the mediation process by means of two elements: The instrument, which regulates the actions on objects, and the sign, which regulates the actions of the people intellect. The work was structured under the qualitative research basis, with data interpretation based on the discourse analysis on Bakhtin. For Bakhtin, the communication process involves the \"understanding\" and later the \"answer\", whose interlocutors leave the condition of hearers only and he starts to have an \"active responsive\" attitude and should be considered as \"real unity of verbal communication,\" not the word, but the \"enunciation\". For the first step, when we submit four screen readers software (NVDA, ORCA, JAWS and VIRTUAL VISION) the reading of mathematical sentences inserted in physics texts, the results showed that the main barriers to accessibility were concentrated in graphics and mathematics language. In testing the accessibility of screen readers with mathematical expressions based on the standard QWERTY, the result was the complete reading of each character from them. Thus, the central problem of accessibility to mathematical contents in physics texts, was not in the screen readers, but in the mathematical language. The objective was to attract attention to a widespread programming language in academia, especially in physics and mathematics, the LaTeX language, to reduce the barriers to computer use by students with visual impairment in Physics classes. In the second stage, when we introduce the LaTeX language in the context of the active process of reading and solving physics problems by two high school students from a public school, the new language not only proved to be accessible as understandable by them. Thus, we highlight as potential of LaTeX language: it\'s composed of textual characters, accessible to OCR devices; Owning linear writing standard, thus simplified; Have shorter and intuitive codes, making it easy to memorize and use. In the case of a standardized language, its limitations were related to its structure, for example, the fact that the codes were written in English and mathematical expressions written in mathematical environments, which complicates the process of internalization and application of this new language by the students.

There is an increased use of block-based programming environments in K-12 education and computing outreach activities to introduce novices to programming and computational thinking skills. However, despite their appealing design that allows students to focus on concepts rather than syntax, block-based programming by design is inaccessible to people with visual impairments and people who cannot use the mouse. In addition to this inaccessibility, little is known about the instructional experiences of students with visual impairments on current block-based programming environments. This dissertation addresses this gap by (1) investigating the challenges that students with visual impairments face on current block-based programming environments and (2) exploring ways in which we can use the keyboard and the screen reader to create block-based code. Through formal survey and interview studies with teachers of students with visual impairments and students with visual impairments, we identify several challenges faced by students with visual impairments on block-based programming environments. Using the knowledge of these challenges and building on prior work, we explore how to leverage the keyboard and the screen reader to improve the accessibility of block-based programming environments through a prototype of an accessible block-based programming library. In this dissertation, our empirical evaluations demonstrate that people with visual impairments can effectively and efficiently create, edit, and navigate block-based code using the keyboard and screen reader alone. Addressing the inaccessibility of block-based programming environments would allow students with visual impairments to participate in programming and computing activities where these systems are used, thus fostering inclusion and promoting diversity.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ana Paula Leite de Camargo.pdf: 1657880 bytes, checksum: 4e40f38dc007b1827b6fbeeb8d5f2a21 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-18 / This paper aims to investigate the main characteristics of the vocal action (intonations of speech) and its possible application in a text-to-speech software (screen readers) according to the score of the voice in Gayotto (2002). Thus, we observed: orality in Classical Greece and the transformation that literacy gave the Western world supported by the speech of McLuhan; the evolution of storage of documents produced, highlighting the libraries through Darnton; the evolution of libraries by Marchiori from the traditional to the virtual and digital; access to digital information and the perception and cognition of congenital and acquired blind people examined in reports of Merleau-Ponty and Sacks, to understand how these subjects have access to information; the vocal action realization reading a text Gayotto and differences between intonational and monotonal reading; assistive technologies available in audio, such as the audiobook, the talking book and screen reader the former allows the realization of vocal action, in contrast to the screen readers which normally perform a dull and, in a sense, quite poor reading in their interpretation; technical specifications required to have an accessible online environment and accessibility standards of the W3C that categorizes the web with the intention of making it accessible to all without exception; validation of accessibility in virtual and digital libraries in Brazil and finally, noted the issue of non-neutrality of technology, through texts from Heidegger (2001) and Abranches (1996). In the end it is suggested that a reading with a vocal action contributes significantly to enrich the interpretation of the text and thus enables the listener an experience with richer semantics / Esta dissertação tem como objetivo principal pesquisar as características da ação vocal (entoações da fala) e sua possível aplicação num software text-to-speech (leitores de tela) de acordo com a partitura da voz em Gayotto (2002). Para tanto, foram observados: a oralidade na Grécia Clássica e a transformação que o letramento proporcionou ao mundo Ocidental apoiado na fala de McLuhan; a evolução do tipo de armazenamento dos documentos produzidos dando destaque às bibliotecas através de Darnton; a evolução das bibliotecas por Marchiori da tradicional até as virtuais e digitais; o acesso à informação digital e a percepção e cognição do cego congênito e adquirido examinados nos relatos de Merleau-Ponty e Sacks, para entender como se dá o acesso à informação destes sujeitos; a realização da ação vocal na leitura de um texto em Gayotto e as diferenças entre a leitura entoacional e monotonal; as tecnologias assistivas disponíveis em áudio, como o audiolivro, o livro falado e o leitor de tela os primeiros permitem a realização da ação vocal em contraponto com os leitores de tela que normalmente realizam uma leitura monótona e, num certo sentido, bastante pobre na sua interpretação; as especificações técnicas exigidas para se ter um ambiente online acessível e os padrões de acessibilidade do Consórcio W3C que categoriza a web com a intenção de torná-la acessível a todos, sem exceção; a validação da acessibilidade das bibliotecas virtuais e digitais do Brasil e finalizando, foi observada a questão da não-neutralidade da técnica, por meio de textos de Heidegger (2001) e de Abranches (1996). No final é sugerido que uma leitura com a ação vocal realizada contribui significativamente para enriquecer na interpretação do texto e com isso possibilitar ao ouvinte uma experiência com maior riqueza semântica

This dissertation takes part of researches and discussions that aim to verify the digital inclusion process on Special and Inclusive Education. From the investigation of docent knowledge it aims to understand how are constituted and dimensioned by the practices referring to the resources by which children with visual impairments may access knowledge. The research context was the specialized educational assistance in municipal schools of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where thirteen students with visual impairments receive a curricular and pedagogical complementation. They are enrolled in nine Basic Education schools in the city. The theoretical framework focuses on information and critical reflections concerning to three main challenges of our time: the Inclusive Education, the digital inclusion and the inclusion of ICTs Information and Communication Technologies in the Education of students with visual impairments. During the course of this dissertation, moved by the characteristic contexts of the present digital age, we proposed to analyze Braille System and the computer with screen reader as resources involved in reading, writing and information access problems, as well in accessing information, knowledge and social interaction. The search method was conducted under a historical and cultural approach, according to Gonzalez Rey s qualitative epistemology. The interviewed subjects culture and identity come into play to determine their knowledge and skills with ICT. We used semistructured interviews as data collection resource. These data were further analyzed under the Content Analysis approach described by Bardin. Data construction resulted in the formulation of categories or analysis axes established from the aspects considered as fundamental in order to include the entire focused reality. From this reality, we discussed the constitution of docent knowledges, the challenges and the possibilities on using the ICT, the didactical aspects and finally, we described the difficulties verified as a result of the inclusion and the exclusion that summit teachers and students. The results reveal knowledges and practices consonant to individual and social culture of teachers, which are characteristic of the historical range we find ourselves, concerning to as the assimilation of digital technologies for education and society. / Essa dissertação integra-se às pesquisas e discussões empreendidas com o intuito de potencializar o processo de inclusão digital na Educação Especial e na Educação Inclusiva. A partir da investigação dos saberes docentes, objetiva compreender como são constituídos e dimensionados por meio das práticas referentes aos recursos de acesso ao conhecimento para crianças com deficiência visual. O contexto da pesquisa foi o atendimento educacional especializado das escolas municipais de Uberlândia, em que recebem complementação curricular e pedagógica treze alunos com deficiência visual matriculados em nove escolas de Ensino Fundamental. O referencial teórico focaliza-se em informações e em reflexões críticas atinentes a três grandes desafios sociais dos nossos tempos: O desafio da Educação Inclusiva, o da inclusão digital, e o da inclusão das TICs na Educação de alunos com deficiência visual. Durante o percurso desta dissertação, motivados pelos contextos característicos da presente era digital, propusemo-nos a analisar o sistema Braille e o computador com leitor de tela como recursos envolvidos na problemática de leitura, da escrita e do acesso à informação, ao conhecimento e à interação social. A metodologia da pesquisa foi conduzida sob um enfoque histórico-cultural, conforme a epistemologia qualitativa de Gonzalez Rey, em que a cultura e a identidade dos sujeitos entrevistados entram em ação para determinar seus saberes e habilidades com as TICs. Entrevistas semiestruturadas foram empregadas como recurso na coleta dos dados, posteriormente analisados na perspectiva da análise de conteúdos descrita por Bardin. A construção dos dados culminou com a formulação de categorias ou eixos de análise pontuados a partir de aspectos considerados fundamentais para a abrangência de toda a realidade em foco. Dessa realidade, discutimos a constituição dos saberes docentes, os desafios e as possibilidades docentes na utilização das TICs, os aspectos didáticos e metodológicos e, por fim, tematizamos as dificuldades verificadas como resultantes da inclusão e exclusão a que professores e alunos encontram-se submetidos. Os resultados revelam saberes e práticas consoantes à cultura individual e social dos docentes, característicos do intervalo histórico em que nos encontramos quanto à assimilação das tecnologias digitais pela Educação e pela sociedade em geral. / Mestre em Educação