What's in a browser? A lot, if you're among a population who is accessing the web through assistive technology. Because “mouseclicks” for EagleEyes and Camera Mouse users work on a dwell function where the user “clicks” by dwelling on one spot on the screen, users can easily find themselves off on a tangential link in a direction they never intended. Getting back on track can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.

Boston College alumnus Hunter Larson ’02 spent his senior year looking into the browser problem and the results have been met with excellent reviews at both the Campus School, as well as the Hollybank School. Titled “WebForward,” the browser offers several new features including:

· A new button-oriented visual display that offers easier access to commands like “forward,” “back,” “scroll,” and the “favorites” menu option
· An option to have the page read back to the user
· The ability to shrink or magnify the font
· A dialog box that confirms with the user, “Are you sure you want to go there?”

(The program is available for free as part of the new Applications CD.)

In a recent interview, Hunter described his involvement in WebForward:

“The idea of the project came during a meeting with Professor Gips at the end of my junior year. I did some initial work looking at how the traditional browser could be improved for EE/CM users and was then asked if I wanted to extend the project into a senior thesis. During the summer before my senior year, I worked on creating the first version. Then, once school started, I met with EagleEyes and Camera Mouse users 2-3 times a week. It was through my time with them that I got most of my programming ideas about how to enhance the browser.”

Since graduation, a paper on Hunter’s WebForward project has been accepted for presentation at the 10th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction in Crete and to be published in a book accompanying the conference. That the WebForward project was chosen is a special honor, as undergraduate research submissions are rarely accepted in the global science arena. Well done, Hunter!