Measuring how effective text simplification really is

What is it about?

Automatic text simplification systems attempt to make texts easier to read for individuals with reading difficulties. Often, these systems are only tested by crowdworkers or experts instead of target groups like people with intellectual disabilities. How can we effectively measure how comprehensible simplified texts are for these readers? We conducted a study using a mobile app with 36 participants to find out what works well and what doesn't.

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Photo by Pablo Arroyo on Unsplash

Photo by Pablo Arroyo on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Including end users with intellectual disabilities in studies about text simplification is essential. But doing so poses many challenges for researchers. Our work shows that digital comprehension testing can be used to make evaluations more inclusive and effective. We also show that there are important differences between readers with and without intellectual disabilities that need to be taken into account.