When Refreshable Tactile Displays Meet Conversational Agents: Investigating Accessible Data Presentation and Analysis...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Accessibility Research
• Data Visualization

Background:

• Making data visualizations accessible for people who are blind or have low vision (BLV) is a significant challenge.
• Advancements in refreshable tactile displays (RTDs) and conversational agents offer new possibilities for BLV data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how BLV individuals interact with and perceive a system combining RTDs and conversational agents for data exploration.
• To identify user patterns and preferences for mixed-modality data analysis interfaces.

Main Methods:

• A Wizard-of-Oz study was conducted with 11 BLV participants.
• Participants interacted with line charts, bar charts, and isarithmic maps using a combined RTD and conversational agent system.

Main Results:

• Nine distinct interaction patterns were identified among participants.
• The choice of modality (RTD, speech, or combined) depended on task type and prior tactile graphic experience.
• Participants strongly preferred the combined RTD and speech modality over single modalities.

Conclusions:

• The combination of RTDs and conversational agents shows promise for supporting BLV data analysis.
• Greater tactile experience correlated with deeper data engagement and independent interpretation.
• Findings will guide the design of future accessible interactive data exploration systems.