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• The Effect of Voice Output on AAC-Supported Conversations of Persons with Alzheimer's Disease

  Melanie Fried-Oken, Charity Rowland, Glory Baker, Mayling Dixon, Carolyn Mills, Darlene Schultz, Barry Oken · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigated whether digitized voice output on AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices would improve conversations for people with moderate Alzheimer's disease. The researchers hypothesized that voice output might function like partner-assisted word…

  AAC · Alzheimer's disease · dementia · voice output · cognitive accessibility

• Exploring Visual and Motor Accessibility in Navigating a Virtual World

  Shari Trewin, Mark Laff, Vicki Hanson, Anna Cavender · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper explores accessibility requirements for 3D virtual worlds, using PowerUp—an educational multiplayer game teaching middle schoolers about renewable energy—as a testbed. Virtual worlds present unique accessibility challenges: they rely on visual realism and dynamic…

  virtual reality · game accessibility · visual impairment · cerebral palsy · motor accessibility

• A Linguistically Motivated Model for Speed and Pausing in Animations of American Sign Language

  Matt Huenerfauth · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper tackles a critical accessibility challenge: many deaf adults in the United States have English reading levels below average 10-year-old hearing students, creating barriers to accessing written web content. Computer-generated animations of American Sign Language (ASL)…

  American Sign Language · sign language animation · deaf accessibility · natural language generation · virtual humans

• The Development and Evaluation of Performance-Based Functional Assessment: A Methodology for the Measurement of Physical Capabilities

  Katherine J. Price, Andrew Sears · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces PB-FACT (Performance-Based Functional Assessment for Computer Technology), a methodology for objectively measuring the physical capabilities of individuals with motor impairments to inform assistive technology selection. Traditional approaches rely on…

  motor impairments · functional assessment · assistive technology · motion sensors · user capabilities

• Being Old Doesn't Mean Acting Old: How Older Users Interact with Spoken Dialog Systems

  Maria Wolters, Kallirroi Georgila, Johanna D. Moore, Sarah E. MacPherson · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study challenges the common practice of designing voice interfaces based on assumed age-related characteristics. Using a bottom-up approach rather than top-down age comparisons, the researchers analyzed 447 appointment scheduling dialogs between 50 users (26 older, aged…

  aging · voice interface · spoken dialog systems · cognitive aging · user diversity

• A3: HCI Coding Guideline for Research Using Video Annotation to Assess Behavior of Nonverbal Subjects with Computer-Based Intervention

  Joshua Hailpern, Karrie Karahalios, James Halle, Laura DeThorne, Mary-Kelsey Coletto · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper introduces A3 (Annotation for ASD Analysis), a comprehensive coding guideline containing 21 dependent variables for assessing the behavior of nonverbal individuals interacting with computer-based interventions. The authors developed A3 through extensive video analysis…

  autism · nonverbal communication · video annotation · research methodology · behavioral assessment

• Video Modeling for Training Older Adults to Use New Technologies

  Doreen Struve, Hartmut Wandke · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper investigates the effectiveness of video modeling combined with guided error training for teaching older adults to use complex technology systems. Part of the ALISA project (Adaptive Learning Support for Older Adults) at Humboldt University Berlin, the study compared…

  older adults · video modeling · training · self-efficacy · cognitive load

• Evaluating the STANDUP Pun Generating Software with Children with Cerebral Palsy

  Annalu Waller, Rolf Black, David A. O'Mara, Helen Pain, Graeme Ritchie, Ruli Manurung · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper evaluates STANDUP (System To Augment Non-speakers' Dialogue Using Puns), software that uses natural language generation to enable children with complex communication needs (CCN) to create and tell novel punning riddles. Unlike traditional AAC systems that rely on…

  AAC · cerebral palsy · children · natural language generation · computational humor

• Disability, Age, and Informational Privacy Attitudes in Quality of Life Technology Applications: Results from a National Web Survey

  Scott Beach, Richard Schulz, Julie Downs, Judith Matthews, Bruce Barron, Katherine Seelman · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This landmark study examines privacy attitudes toward assistive and health monitoring technologies among 1,518 U.S. adults, focusing on how disability and age influence willingness to share personal health information. Conducted under the NSF Quality of Life Technology…

  privacy · quality of life technology · smart home · aging · surveillance

• Exploring Methods to Improve Pen-Based Menu Selection for Younger and Older Adults

  Karyn Moffatt, Joanna McGrenere · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates why users struggle with pen-based menu selection on tablet PCs, particularly older adults, and tests two approaches for reducing errors. Building on a baseline study that identified three error types (slipping, drifting, and "missing just below"), the…

  pen input · tablet PC · older adults · target acquisition · motor impairments

• Conception and Experimentation of a Communication Device with Adaptive Scanning

  Souhir Ghedira, Pierre Pino, Guy Bourhis · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper presents an adaptive algorithm for optimizing scanning delay (Tscan) in switch-operated AAC devices, addressing one of the fundamental challenges in scanning-based communication: finding the right balance between speed and error rate. For users with severe motor…

  AAC · scanning · switch access · motor disabilities · adaptive systems

• User Interaction with Word Prediction: The Effects of Prediction Quality

  Keith Trnka, John McCaw, Debra Yarrington, Kathleen F. McCoy, Christopher Pennington · 2009 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This study investigates how the quality of word prediction systems affects both communication speed and user behavior in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The researchers conducted a controlled experiment with 33 adult participants who used a simulated AAC…

  AAC · word prediction · language models · communication rate · user study

• Evaluating Existing Audio CAPTCHAs and an Interface Optimized for Non-Visual Use

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Anna C. Cavender · 2009 · Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2009)

  This paper presents the first large-scale evaluation of audio CAPTCHAs — the purportedly accessible alternative to visual CAPTCHAs — revealing that they are dramatically more difficult for both blind and sighted users. The study gathered 10 types of audio CAPTCHAs from major…

  blind and low vision · web accessibility · screen readers · CAPTCHA · authentication

• Mining Web Interactions to Automatically Create Mash-Ups

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Ryan S. Kaminsky, Jeffrey Nichols · 2009 · Proceedings of the 22nd Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology (UIST 2009)

  This paper introduces TX2, a Firefox browser extension that automatically creates meta-search mash-ups by mining the web interactions of multiple users to discover relationships between query forms on different websites. The deep web — information accessible only through web…

  web accessibility · web development · information retrieval · end-user programming · personalization

• Trailblazer: Enabling Blind Users to Blaze Trails Through the Web

  Jeffrey P. Bigham, Tessa Lau, Jeffrey Nichols · 2009 · IUI '09: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces

  This paper introduces TrailBlazer, a system designed to help blind web users complete tasks more efficiently by providing step-by-step guidance through web pages. The core problem it addresses is that blind users relying on screen readers must often perform time-consuming linear…

  screen readers · blind users · web accessibility · non-visual interfaces · programming by demonstration

• ClassInFocus: Enabling Improved Visual Attention Strategies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

  Anna C. Cavender, Jeffrey P. Bigham, Richard E. Ladner · 2009 · Assets '09: Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents ClassInFocus, a system designed to help deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students manage the demanding visual attention requirements of modern multi-modal classrooms. DHH students face a unique challenge: while hearing students can simultaneously listen to the…

  deaf and hard of hearing · classroom accessibility · visual attention · notifications · eye tracking

• MGuider: Mobile Guiding and Tracking System in Public Transit System for Individuals with Cognitive Impairments

  Wei-Hsun Chen · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents MGuider, a mobile guiding and tracking system designed to help individuals with cognitive impairments navigate public transit systems independently. Developed in collaboration with NGOs running supported employment programs in Taipei, Taiwan, the system…

  cognitive accessibility · wayfinding · mobile technology · public transit · assistive technology

• Designing AAC Interfaces for Commercial Brain-Computer Interaction Gaming Hardware

  Stephen Steward · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper explores repurposing a low-cost commercial brain-computer interface (BCI) gaming device — the OCZ Technologies Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) — as an input device for augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The NIA is a headband that reads electrical signals…

  augmentative and alternative communication · brain-computer interface · assistive technology · motor impairment · speech impairment

• Validity and Reliability of Web Accessibility Guidelines

  Giorgio Brajnik · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents an experiment measuring the validity and reliability of WCAG 1.0 and WCAG 2.0 checkpoints when applied by human evaluators. The study recruited 35 young web developers with some accessibility knowledge from a university course and asked them to evaluate two…

  accessibility evaluation · WCAG · conformance testing · inter-rater reliability · web accessibility

• A Respite Care Information System for Families with Developmental Delay Children through Mobile Networks

  Jyun-Yan Yang · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents the design and implementation of a mobile social network-based system for matching families of children with developmental delay (CDD) with respite care volunteers. Developed in collaboration with the Angel Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation in Taiwan,…

  respite care · developmental delay · mobile technology · social network · caregiver support

• Rock Vibe: Rock Band® Computer Games for People with No or Limited Vision

  Troy Allman, Rupinder K. Dhillon, Molly A.E. Landau, Sri H. Kurniawan · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents Rock Vibe, a modification of the commercial Rock Band® video game that replaces visual cues with haptic vibrations and audio feedback to enable people with no or limited vision to play the drumming component. The system uses an Arduino microcontroller to…

  game accessibility · visual impairment · blindness · haptic feedback · sensory substitution

• Evaluating Prosodic Cues as a Means to Disambiguate Algebraic Expressions: An Empirical Study

  Ed Gellenbeck, Andreas Stefik · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper investigates whether inserting pauses into text-to-speech renderings of mathematical expressions can help listeners distinguish between structurally different but verbally similar algebraic expressions. The core problem is that written mathematics relies on…

  mathematical accessibility · text-to-speech · screen readers · MathML · SSML

• Spatial and Temporal Pyramids for Grammatical Expression Recognition of American Sign Language

  Nicholas Michael, Dimitris Metaxas, Carol Neidle · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents a novel computer vision framework for recognizing grammatical facial expressions and head gestures in American Sign Language (ASL) video. While most sign language recognition research has focused on manual components (hand shapes and movements), this work…

  sign language recognition · American Sign Language · non-manual markers · computer vision · facial expression recognition

• Freedom to Roam: A Study of Mobile Device Adoption and Accessibility for People with Visual and Motor Disabilities

  Shaun K. Kane, Chandrika Jayant, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Richard E. Ladner · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents a two-method qualitative study examining how people with visual and motor disabilities select, adapt, and use mobile devices in their daily lives. The researchers interviewed 20 participants (ages 20-66) with visual disabilities (blindness, low vision) and…

  mobile accessibility · visual impairment · motor impairment · blindness · low vision

• Sensation Augmentation to Relieve Pressure Sore Formation in Wheelchair Users

  Raphael P. Rush · 2009 · Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents SoreStop, an Arduino-based sensory augmentation device designed to prevent pressure sore formation in wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries. Pressure sores (decubitus ulcers) are a major cause of injury and death among patients who regularly use…

  pressure ulcer · spinal cord injury · wheelchair · sensory augmentation · assistive technology