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• Enhancing Android Accessibility for Users with Hand Tremor by Reducing Fine Pointing and Steady Tapping

  Yu Zhong, Astrid Weber, Casey Burkhardt, Phil Weaver, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces Touch Guard, a system-wide Android accessibility service developed as a Google intern research project that helps users with hand tremor interact more accurately with touchscreen devices. The core problem addressed is that conventional touchscreen…

  mobile accessibility · touchscreen accessibility · hand tremor · motor impairment · Android

• Understanding Design Considerations for Adaptive User Interfaces for Accessible Pointing with Older and Younger Adults

  Aqueasha Martin-Hammond, Abdullah Ali, Catherine Hornback, Amy K. Hurst · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates how older and younger adults want adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) to detect and respond to pointing difficulties when using computers. Pointing problems — such as misclicks, erratic cursor movements, and difficulty with target acquisition — affect people…

  adaptive user interfaces · pointing performance · older adults · participatory design · motor impairment

• Capti-Speak: A Speech-Enabled Web Screen Reader

  Vikas Ashok, Yevgen Borodin, Yury Puzis, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Capti-Speak, a speech-augmented screen reader for web browsing that allows blind users to combine natural language voice commands with traditional keyboard shortcuts. Built as an extension to the Capti Narrator screen reader, Capti-Speak addresses a…

  screen readers · speech recognition · voice interface · web accessibility · blind users

• The Implementation of a Vocabulary and Grammar for an Open-Source Speech-Recognition Programming Platform

  Jean K. Rodriguez-Cartagena, Andrea C. Claudio-Palacios, Natalia Pacheco-Tallaj, Valerie Santiago González, Patricia Ordonez-Franco · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the development of a standardized vocabulary and grammar for voice-based programming, designed to make coding accessible to people with limited hand mobility or visual impairments. The work is part of the larger Kavita Project, which aims to create an…

  speech recognition · voice input · programming · motor impairment · repetitive strain injury

• The Tactile Graphics Helper: Providing Audio Clarification for Tactile Graphics Using Machine Vision

  Giovanni Fusco, Valerie S. Morash · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH), a machine vision system that enables students who are blind or visually impaired to independently access clarifying information about tactile graphics without sighted assistance. Tactile graphics—raised line drawings,…

  tactile graphics · visual impairment · blindness · STEM education · machine vision

• Breaking Barriers with Assistive Macros

  André Rodrigues · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper introduces Assistive Macros, an Android accessibility service that enables users with motor impairments to perform multi-step interactions with a single selection. The system addresses two critical problems: the extreme time consumption of sequential scanning…

  switch access · motor impairment · mobile accessibility · Android · macros

• Using Dynamic Audio Feedback to Support Peripersonal Reaching in Visually Impaired People

  Graham Wilson, Stephen A. Brewster · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper explores how dynamic audio feedback can help blind and visually impaired people locate and reach for objects in their immediate (peripersonal) space. The research addresses an important developmental challenge: blind children engage less with objects in…

  visual impairment · audio feedback · sonification · spatial awareness · child development

• Can We Make Dynamic, Accessible and Fun One-Switch Video Games?

  Sebastián Aced López, Fulvio Corno, Luigi De Russis · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper tackles a significant gap in accessible gaming: children with severe motor disabilities who rely on single-switch input are typically limited to static, time-independent games that lack the dynamic engagement of mainstream video games. The fundamental…

  switch access · game accessibility · motor disabilities · children · assistive technology

• TactileMaps.net: A Web Interface for Generating Customized 3D-Printable Tactile Maps

  Brandon T. Taylor, Anind K. Dey, Dan P. Siewiorek, Asim Smailagic · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper presents TactileMaps.net, a web-based tool that enables visually impaired users to independently generate customized 3D-printable tactile maps. Tactile maps are valuable tools for helping blind individuals understand their environment, but traditionally…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · 3D printing · maps · wayfinding

• Collaborative Creation of Digital Tactile Graphics

  Jens Bornschein, Denise Prescher, Gerhard Weber · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the Tangram Workstation, a collaborative system enabling sighted transcribers and blind reviewers to work together in real-time when creating tactile graphics. The fundamental insight is that current tactile graphics production involves sighted transcribers…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · collaboration · pin-matrix display · refreshable braille display

• ForeSee: A Customizable Head-Mounted Vision Enhancement System for People with Low Vision

  Yuhang Zhao, Sarit Szpiro, Shiri Azenkot · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents ForeSee, a video see-through augmented reality system that enhances the visual experience for people with low vision. Unlike assistive technologies that bypass vision entirely (like screen readers), ForeSee leverages users' remaining functional vision—which…

  low vision · augmented reality · head-mounted display · vision enhancement · magnification

• A System for Controlling Assisted Living Environments Using Mobile Devices

  Paulo A. Condado, Fernando G. Lobo · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents EasyHouse, a smartphone-based home automation system designed to be accessible for people with motor disabilities while remaining usable by all family members. The system addresses a gap in the smart home market: most domotic (home automation) products target…

  home automation · smart home · motor disabilities · cerebral palsy · mobile accessibility

• The Invisible Work of Accessibility: How Blind Employees Manage Accessibility in Mixed-Ability Workplaces

  Stacy M. Branham, Shaun K. Kane · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This qualitative field study examines how blind employees navigate accessibility in shared office environments where they work alongside sighted colleagues. The researchers conducted a multi-session study with five blind office workers (ages 25-54) across different…

  blindness · workplace accessibility · assistive technology · screen readers · employment

• Using In-Situ Projection to Support Cognitively Impaired Workers at the Workplace

  Markus Funk, Sven Mayer, Albrecht Schmidt · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This research investigates whether projecting assembly instructions directly onto a workspace (in-situ projection) can help cognitively impaired workers complete more complex tasks compared to traditional pictorial instructions. The work addresses a significant barrier to…

  cognitive disability · workplace accessibility · augmented reality · in-situ projection · sheltered work

• An Enhanced Electrolarynx with Automatic Fundamental Frequency Control based on Statistical Prediction

  Kou Tanaka, Tomoki Toda, Graham Neubig, Sakriani Sakti, Satoshi Nakamura · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper presents a prototype system that enhances electrolarynx speech by automatically controlling pitch (fundamental frequency, or F0) using statistical prediction. An electrolarynx is a speaking aid device used by laryngectomees—people who have had their…

  electrolarynx · laryngectomy · speech synthesis · assistive technology · voice prosthesis

• Haptic Gloves Prototype for Audio-Tactile Web Browsing

  Andrii Soviak · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents preliminary work on FeelX, a haptic gloves system designed to enable blind users to explore web page layouts through touch. The research addresses a fundamental limitation of screen readers: they present web content serially, creating a one-dimensional mental…

  blindness · haptic interface · web accessibility · screen reader · tactile display

• Disability and Technology: A Critical Realist Perspective

  Christopher Frauenberger · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This theoretical paper argues that assistive technology (AT) research typically operates from a reductionist philosophical position, matching functional needs with technological opportunities while failing to address the full complexity of disabled experience. The author…

  disability studies · philosophy · critical realism · medical model · social model

• A Spellchecker for Dyslexia

  Luz Rello, Miguel Ballesteros, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper introduces Real Check, a spellchecker designed specifically to detect real-word errors—spelling mistakes that result in unintended but valid words (e.g., "form" instead of "from"). While dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the population and is the most frequent…

  dyslexia · spelling · natural language processing · real-word errors · assistive technology

• Making Connections: Modular 3D Printing for Designing Assistive Attachments to Prosthetic Devices

  Megan Kelly Hofmann · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This doctoral consortium abstract presents a modular design methodology for creating affordable, customized 3D-printed assistive attachments for prosthetic limbs. The approach addresses a key limitation of current assistive technology: highly customized devices are expensive to…

  3D printing · prosthetics · assistive technology · rapid prototyping · modular design

• Individuality-Preserving Voice Conversion for Articulation Disorders Using Phoneme-Categorized Exemplars

  Ryo Aihara, Tetsuya Takiguchi, Yasuo Ariki · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents a voice conversion system designed to improve speech intelligibility for people with articulation disorders resulting from athetoid cerebral palsy, while critically preserving the speaker's voice individuality. Cerebral palsy affects about 2 in 1,000 births,…

  voice conversion · articulation disorders · cerebral palsy · speech technology · assistive technology

• Perspectives on Speech and Language Interaction for Daily Assistive Technology: Introduction to Part 1 of the Special Issue

  Heidi Christensen, Frank Rudzicz, François Portet, Jan Alexandersson · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This editorial introduces the first part of a TACCESS special issue on speech and language interaction for daily assistive technology, emerging from the 2013 SLPAT (Speech and Language Processing for Assistive Technologies) workshop. The editors frame speech and natural language…

  speech recognition · disordered speech · dysarthria · speech intelligibility · assistive technology

• Automatic Detection of Phone-Based Anomalies in Dysarthric Speech

  Imed Laaridh, Corinne Fredouille, Christine Meunier · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This research develops automatic methods to detect and localize acoustic anomalies in speech produced by people with dysarthria, a motor speech disorder caused by neurological damage affecting the respiratory, phonatory, resonatory, articulatory, or prosodic components of…

  dysarthria · speech recognition · automatic speech processing · motor speech disorders · clinical assessment

• Reconstruction of Phonated Speech from Whispers Using Formant-Derived Plausible Pitch Modulation

  Ian V. McLoughlin, Hamid Reza Sharifzadeh, Su Lim Tan, Jingjie Li, Yan Song · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper addresses a fundamental communication barrier for people who can only whisper due to voice impairments. While whispering is an occasional choice for most people, it is the primary—sometimes only—communication method for partial laryngectomees, those on prescribed…

  speech technology · voice reconstruction · laryngectomy · voice disorders · whisper-to-speech

• ApplianceReader: A Wearable, Crowdsourced, Vision-based System to Make Appliances Accessible

  Anhong Guo, Xiang "Anthony" Chen, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts

  This work-in-progress paper presents ApplianceReader, a wearable system that combines a point-of-view camera (Google Glass) with crowdsourcing and computer vision to make everyday appliance control panels accessible to people with visual impairments. The system addresses a…

  appliance accessibility · crowdsourcing · computer vision · wearable technology · blindness

• RegionSpeak: Quick Comprehensive Spatial Descriptions of Complex Images for Blind Users

  Yu Zhong, Walter S. Lasecki, Erin Brady, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2015)

  This paper introduces RegionSpeak, a mobile application that helps blind users get comprehensive spatial descriptions of complex visual scenes by combining image stitching with parallelized crowdsourced labeling. The authors identify a gap in existing visual question-answering…

  visual accessibility · crowdsourcing · image description · spatial awareness · blind users