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• Supporting Orientation of People with Visual Impairment: Analysis of Large Scale Usage Data

  Hernisa Kacorri, Sergio Mascetti, Andrea Gerino, Dragan Ahmetovic, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper analyzes large-scale remote usage data from iMove, an iOS GPS-based orientation app for people with visual impairments, to understand how users interact with assistive navigation technology in real-world conditions. Traditional assistive technology user studies are…

  visual impairment · blindness · navigation · orientation and mobility · mobile accessibility

• A Personalizable Mobile Sound Detector App Design for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Users

  Danielle Bragg, Nicholas Huynh, Richard E. Ladner · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents the design and evaluation of a personalizable mobile phone app that detects sounds of interest to deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) users by learning from training examples recorded by the user themselves. Unlike existing commercial sound detection products —…

  deaf and hard of hearing · mobile accessibility · machine learning · sound detection · personalization

• An Evaluation of SingleTapBraille Keyboard: A Text Entry Method that Utilizes Braille Patterns on Touchscreen Devices

  Maraim Alnfiai, Srinivas Sampalli · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  SingleTapBraille is a touchscreen keyboard that allows blind users to enter text by tapping braille dot patterns anywhere on the screen, eliminating the need to locate specific key positions. Unlike QWERTY keyboards that require users to slide their finger across the screen…

  braille · text entry · touchscreen accessibility · blind accessibility · mobile accessibility

• WearWrite: Crowd-Assisted Writing from Smartwatches

  Michael Nebeling, Alexandra To, Anhong Guo, Adrian A. de Freitas, Jaime Teevan, Steven P. Dow, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2016 · Proceedings of the 2016 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2016)

  WearWrite is a system that enables users to write documents from their smartwatches by leveraging crowd workers to translate ideas into text. The system addresses the fundamental limitation that smartwatches have severely constrained input/output — touch-based text input is…

  crowdsourcing · wearable technology · human computation · collaborative writing · mobile accessibility

• NavCog: A Navigational Cognitive Assistant for the Blind

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cole Gleason, Chengxiong Ruan, Kris Kitani, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services (MobileHCI '16)

  This paper introduces NavCog, an iPhone-based turn-by-turn navigation assistant designed to guide blind users through unfamiliar indoor and outdoor environments without requiring expensive infrastructure or structural modifications. The authors argue that while blind travellers…

  blind navigation · indoor navigation · wayfinding · orientation and mobility · assistive technology

• Audio-Based Feedback Techniques for Teaching Touchscreen Gestures

  Uran Oh, Stacy Branham, Leah Findlater, Shaun K. Kane · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper proposes and evaluates two complementary audio-based techniques for teaching touchscreen gestures to blind and low-vision users: gesture sonification (mapping finger position to pitch and stereo panning to create an audio representation of the gesture) and corrective…

  visual impairment · touchscreen · gesture learning · sonification · audio feedback

• Evaluating Intelligibility and Battery Drain of Mobile Sign Language Video Transmitted at Low Frame Rates and Bit Rates

  Jessica J. Tran, Eve A. Riskin, Richard E. Ladner, Jacob O. Wobbrock · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper investigates the lower limits of intelligible sign language video on mobile devices, seeking to determine the minimum frame rate and bit rate that still allow deaf users to understand ASL video conversations. Mobile video communication is essential for deaf and…

  deaf and hard of hearing · sign language · video communication · mobile accessibility · bandwidth

• HoliBraille: Multipoint Vibrotactile Feedback on Mobile Devices

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces HoliBraille, a hardware prototype that enables both Braille input and output on standard mobile touchscreen devices using vibrotactile motors. The system attaches six small vibration motors to a 3D-printed case that fits over a smartphone, with each motor…

  braille · blind and low vision · haptic technology · mobile accessibility · vibrotactile feedback

• Just-in-Time Cognitive Assessment and Task Recommendation for Individuals with Cognitive Impairments

  Sean-Ryan Smith · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a mobile system that performs just-in-time cognitive assessment for people with cognitive impairments (CI), then uses those assessment results to recommend tasks the individual is most likely to be able to perform independently. The core…

  cognitive impairment · cognitive assessment · cognitive rehabilitation · assistive technology · mobile accessibility

• A4TV: Assessing and Ameliorating the Accessibility of the Ascending Connected TV Platforms

  Daniel Costa · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a two-stage research programme to study and improve the accessibility of connected TV platforms for visually impaired users. Connected TVs — smart TVs and set-top boxes with internet connectivity — use web technologies (HTML5, JavaScript)…

  connected TV · blindness · visual impairment · accessibility evaluation · multimodal interaction

• Optimus Web: Selective Delivery of Desktop or Mobile Web Pages

  Nádia Fernandes, Tiago Guerreiro, Diogo Marques, Luís Carriço · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Optimus Web, a client-side web proxy system that automatically selects and delivers the most accessible version of a website — either its desktop or mobile representation — to blind users. The system uses QualWeb, an automated accessibility evaluator that…

  web accessibility · blind users · screen readers · mobile accessibility · automated testing

• 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

• 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

• Typing Performance of Blind Users: An Analysis of Touch Behaviors, Learning Effect, and In-Situ Usage

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This longitudinal study provides the most detailed analysis to date of how novice blind users learn to type on touchscreen keyboards using the Explore by Touch paradigm (where users slide fingers across the screen to hear key names, then lift to select). Five legally blind…

  visual impairment · touchscreen · text entry · mobile accessibility · screen reader

• 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

• Accessible Mobile Biometrics for Elderly

  Ramon Blanco-Gonzalo, Raul Sanchez-Reillo, Loïc Martínez-Normand, Belen Fernandez-Saavedra, Judith Liu-Jimenez · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents one of the first accessibility evaluations of mobile biometric authentication, focusing on elderly users making Point of Sale payments via smartphone. The researchers developed an Android app using NFC communication and two biometric modalities—fingerprint…

  biometrics · elderly · mobile accessibility · authentication · fingerprint

• Getting Smartphones to Talkback: Understanding the Smartphone Adoption Process of Blind Users

  André Rodrigues, Kyle Montague, Hugo Nicolau, Tiago Guerreiro · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents an eight-week longitudinal study investigating how novice blind users adopt touchscreen smartphones, transitioning from traditional feature phones. The researchers recruited five legally blind participants (ages 23-55) who had never used a touchscreen…

  blindness · screen readers · mobile accessibility · TalkBack · smartphone adoption

• A Performance Comparison of On-Hand versus On-Phone Nonvisual Input by Blind and Sighted Users

  Uran Oh, Leah Findlater · 2015 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This study investigates whether using one's own hand as an input surface offers performance advantages over touchscreen phones for blind users performing nonvisual interaction. On-body input is particularly attractive for blind users because it provides enhanced tactile and…

  on-body interaction · mobile accessibility · blindness · touchscreen accessibility · gesture input

• The role of accessibility in a universal web

  Shawn Lawton Henry, Shadi Abou-Zahra, Judy Brewer · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  Written by leaders of the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), this communications paper clarifies the relationship between web accessibility and broader concepts like universal design, inclusive design, and design for all. The authors argue that while accessibility research…

  universal design · web accessibility · inclusive design · situational limitations · mobile accessibility

• Evaluation of DysWebxia: A Reading App Designed for People with Dyslexia

  Luz Rello, Ricardo Baeza-Yates · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the evaluation of DysWebxia, an iOS reading application specifically designed for people with dyslexia. The app integrates evidence-based text presentation features known to improve reading performance for people with dyslexia — including customizable font…

  dyslexia · reading accessibility · text simplification · lexical simplification · mobile accessibility

• Friendsourcing the Unmet Needs of People with Dementia

  João Martins, José Carilho, Oliver Schnell, Carlos Duarte, Francisco M. Couto, Luís Carriço, Tiago Guerreiro · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents a system that combines automatic smartphone-based lifelogging with friendsourcing — a form of crowdsourcing limited to a trusted social network — to create a cognitive prosthesis for people with dementia (PwD). With an estimated 35 million people affected…

  dementia · cognitive prosthesis · friendsourcing · crowdsourcing · reminiscence therapy

• Marker-Assisted Recognition of Dynamic Content in Public Spaces

  Andréa Britto Mattos, Ricardo Herrmann, Carlos Cardonha, Diego Gallo, Priscilla Avegliano, Sergio Borger · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from IBM Research Brazil presents an image processing system that helps visually impaired and situationally disabled people (such as tourists in foreign countries) recognize dynamic content displayed on public information boards. The system addresses a common…

  computer vision · visual impairment · object recognition · fiducial markers · public spaces

• Marker-based image recognition of dynamic content for the visually impaired

  Andréa Britto Mattos, Carlos Cardonha, Diego Gallo, Priscilla Avegliano, Ricardo Herrmann, Sergio Borger · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from IBM Research Brazil introduces a marker-based image recognition technique to help visually impaired people access information displayed on public panels and boards with fixed layouts but dynamic content — such as vending machines, split-flap airport displays,…

  computer vision · visual impairment · mobile accessibility · object recognition · situational disability

• JustSpeak: enabling universal voice control on Android

  Yu Zhong, T. V. Raman, Casey Burkhardt, Fadi Biadsy, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces JustSpeak, a universal voice control system for Android that works across all applications without requiring any developer intervention. Unlike Google Now or Siri, which only support pre-defined commands for specific apps, JustSpeak dynamically constructs…

  voice interface · mobile accessibility · blindness · motor accessibility · Android

• Accessibility and Smart Data: the Case Study of mPASS

  Catia Prandi · 2014 · Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper presents mPASS (mobile Pervasive Accessibility Social Sensing), a research project from the University of Bologna that applies the concept of Smart Data to urban accessibility. The paper argues that while crowdsourcing and personal sensing generate…

  accessible maps · crowdsourcing · smart data · urban accessibility · user modeling