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Web Trek, the research behind this accessible web browser.

ABSTRACT Web Trek is our specialized picture-based web browser that can be operated by individuals with intellectual disabilities and literacy challenges. Web Trek utilizes a simple, unique process that allows you to use a picture directly from a web page to display on an oversized Favorites button on the user’s Home screen. A single tap on any picture-based Favorites button returns the user to the designated page. Web Trek also includes access to Visual Search Site, our picture-based web search engine. This solution from AbleLink is a great way to include people with intellectual disabilities in the World Wide Web revolution! The basis for virtually everything we do comes from a committment of resources to intense research and development efforts.

Under funding from the US Department of Education's National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a Phase I research project culminated in March of 1999 with a pilot study was to assess the effectiveness of the Web Trek prototype for allowing independent access to the Internet for individuals with mental retardation. The basic hypothesis was that the Web Trek system would be more effective than existing Web browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer) at allowing users with mental retardation to independently access the Web. The pilot study involved a comparison of the Web Trek prototype to Internet Explorer 4.0, and included 12 subjects with an average IQ score of 58.9. The sequence of tasks performed for data collection on each browser was as follows:

1. Conduct a Search

2. Save a Web site to the Favorites List

3. Conduct a second Search

4. Save a second Web site to the Favorites List

5. Use the Favorites List to retrieve the first saved Web site

6. Use the Favorites List to retrieve the second saved Web site

Each of the above tasks was analyzed to document the steps required to perform the task. Data was collected on the following dependent variables: 1) the number of prompts required for each step; 2) the number of errors made for each task, and; 3) whether or not a task was completed. The results showed that when the Web Trek browser was used by persons with mental retardation to access the Internet, they were able to do so with significantly less assistance and with significantly fewer errors (see Table 1 below) when performing the series of typical Internet access tasks. Test subjects also indicated a very high level of satisfaction with their experiences using the Internet during the study.

Table 1: Web Trek Phase I Research Results

Dependent Variable	Web Trek Prototype	Internet Explorer 4.0	Significance
Number of prompts required to complete all tasks	Mean = 5.7 SD = 4.3	Mean = 17.2 SD = 5.7	.001*
Number of errors made	Mean = 1.3 SD = 1.2	Mean = 5.7 SD = 5.1	.006*
Tasks Completed	Mean = 6.0 SD = 0.0	Mean = 5.5 SD = .8	.026*

The results of Phase I provided clear evidence that the Web Trek browser significantly enhanced independent access to the Internet for individuals with mental retardation as well as provided observed recreational benefit to test subjects while using the Internet. Together, these results provided strong support for the need to continue research and development of Web Trek to provide a fully functioning and easily available Internet access tool for individuals with cognitive disabilities. Accordingly, the US Department of Education/NIDRR approved Phase II funding of the Web Trek project, beginning on September 1, 1999. Although this project will continue through August 31, 2001, AbleLink plans to make as initial release of the Web Trek system in the Fall of 2000. Plans for this release include initial versions of the Web Trek browser and email programs, and the availability of the picture-based Visual Search Site. Ongoing Phase II work will include extended field testing, software redevelopment and consideration of additional options and features.