Integrated Adaptive Approaches to Ensuring Accessibility of Web Applications for Users with Disabilities

Abstract

The article explores existing adaptive approaches to making web applications accessible to users with disabilities. Based on the literature review and modern methodological approaches, the possibility of using an integrated methodology aimed at adapting web interfaces to improve their user-friendliness is being investigated. The paper describes a conceptual model of an adaptive system that includes modules for interface adaptation, accessibility, and feedback monitoring.  The experiment involved pilot-testing the developed adaptive web interface on a limited sample of users with various forms of disability (visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments), representing different age and educational groups to ensure demographic diversity. Iterative retesting cycles were applied for data processing and interpretation, using descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) and inferential tests (Student’s t-test and analysis of variance) to assess the significance of changes in System Usability Scale scores and compatibility with assistive technologies. The novelty of the approach lies in a comprehensive modular architecture that integrates adaptive, accessibility, and monitoring modules in accordance with WCAG and WAI-ARIA standards, enabling not only basic conformance but also the seamless incorporation of new algorithms into a unified system while maintaining consistency across all components. Adaptability is manifested in dynamic interface personalization based on user behavior data and device characteristics (via media queries, flexible CSS mechanisms, and JavaScript algorithms), as well as in iterative testing and feedback cycles that permit adjustment of the adaptation logic to the evolving needs of users with disabilities. The results of the work confirm the author's hypothesis that the integration of adaptive mechanisms increases the efficiency of using web applications, thereby addressing the individual needs of users with disabilities. The information presented in the framework of the work will be of interest to other researchers, as well as specialists in the field of information technology and inclusive design, seeking to integrate advanced methodologies and standards for ensuring universal accessibility of web applications into the appropriate regulatory and methodological framework.