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• An Extensible, Scalable Browser-Based Architecture for Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication and Collaboration Systems for Deaf and Hearing Individuals

  Jonathan Schull · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from Rochester Institute of Technology (home to the National Technical Institute of the Deaf) presents a browser-based communication platform designed to facilitate face-to-face conversation between deaf and hearing team members. Standard chat systems enforce a…

  deaf accessibility · CSCW · real-time text · collaboration · universal design

• From Letters to Words: Efficient Stroke-based Word Completion for Trackball Text Entry

  Jacob O. Wobbrock, Brad A. Myers · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents a significant extension to Trackball EdgeWrite, a unistroke text entry method designed for people who use trackballs as their primary pointing device. The original Trackball EdgeWrite allowed users to enter text one character at a time by rolling a trackball…

  text entry · trackball · motor impairment · word prediction · word completion

• Accommodating Color Blind Computer Users

  Luke Jefferson, Richard Harvey · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper from the University of East Anglia presents an algorithm for recoloring digital images and documents so that color information is preserved for color blind viewers, particularly dichromats (people missing one type of cone cell). The algorithm addresses a fundamental…

  color vision deficiency · color blindness · dichromacy · color remapping · color contrast

• SADIe: Transcoding Based on CSS

  Simon Harper, Sean Bechhofer, Darren Lunn · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper introduces SADIe (Structural-Semantics for Accessibility and Device Independence), a system that improves web accessibility for visually impaired users by leveraging semantic information already encoded in Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). The authors argue that blindness…

  visual impairment · web accessibility · transcoding · CSS · screen readers

• A Rollator-Mounted Wayfinding System for the Elderly: A Smart World Perspective

  Aliasgar Kutiyanawala, Vladimir Kulyukin, Edmund LoPresti · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the iWalker, a rollator-mounted wayfinding system designed to help elderly individuals with cognitive and visual impairments navigate indoor environments independently. The system adopts a "smart world" perspective, where intelligence is distributed between…

  wayfinding · aging · assistive technology · robotics · cognitive impairment

• A Portable Device for the Translation of Braille to Text

  Iain Murray, Andrew Pasquale · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the development of a portable, handheld device that optically scans embossed Braille and translates it into printed text in real time. The device addresses a significant communication barrier: while many blind and vision-impaired people read and write using…

  braille · optical braille recognition · assistive technology · visual impairment · communication

• Lecture Adaptation for Students with Visual Disabilities Using High-Resolution Photography

  Gregory Hughes, Peter Robinson · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents a system designed to make visual content in lectures accessible to students with visual disabilities by using high-resolution digital still cameras and computer vision techniques. Students with visual impairments typically sit 4 to 20 metres from whiteboards,…

  visual impairment · education · assistive technology · computer vision · lecture accessibility

• A Voice-Activated Syntax-Directed Editor for Manually Disabled Programmers

  Thomas J. Hubbell, David D. Langan, Thomas F. Hain · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents VASDE (Voice-Activated Syntax-Directed Editor), a programming environment designed to allow people with manual disabilities to write Java code using voice commands instead of a keyboard and mouse. The authors argue that traditional programming IDEs, which are…

  speech recognition · programming · motor impairment · voice input · IDE

• Attention Analysis in Interactive Software for Children with Autism

  A. Ould Mohamed, V. Courboulay, K. Sehaba, M. Menard · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the attention analysis component of the AutiSTIC project, a collaborative effort between computer scientists and the Child Psychiatry department of La Rochelle Hospital in France to develop interactive software that helps children with autism during…

  autism · attention analysis · eye tracking · computer vision · children

• Using an Audio Interface to Assist Users Who are Visually Impaired with Steering Tasks

  Robert F. Cohen, Valerie Haven, Jessica A. Lanzoni, Arthur Meacham, Joelle Skaff, Michael Wissell · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents results from an ongoing study of PLUMB (exPLoring graphs at UMB), a software system that uses audio feedback and a pen-based Tablet PC interface to make relational graphs and diagrams accessible to users who are blind. Graphs — consisting of vertices (nodes)…

  visual impairment · sonification · graph accessibility · audio interface · tablet PC

• Where's My Stuff? Design and Evaluation of a Mobile System for Locating Lost Items for the Visually Impaired

  Julie A. Kientz, Shwetak N. Patel, Arwa Z. Tyebkhan, Brian Gane, Jennifer Wiley, Gregory D. Abowd · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents FETCH (Finding Everything using Technology that is Convenient and Handy), a mobile system that helps visually impaired people locate lost items around their home using Bluetooth-enabled tags and existing devices like cell phones or laptops. The research was…

  visual impairment · assistive technology · object location · Bluetooth · mobile technology

• Lambda: A Multimodal Approach to Making Mathematics Accessible to Blind Students

  Alistair D N Edwards, Heather McCartney, Flavio Fogarolo · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the Lambda System, a European Union-funded project designed to make mathematics accessible to blind students through a multimodal mathematical editor. Mathematics relies heavily on visual two-dimensional notation — fractions are stacked vertically, square…

  visual impairment · mathematics · braille · education · MathML

• Alternative Text Entry Using Different Input Methods

  Torsten Felzer, Rainer Nordmann · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the HaMCoS (Hands-free Mouse Control System) framework and its text entry applications, designed for people who cannot use their hands to operate a keyboard. HaMCoS works by detecting intentional muscle contractions — specifically single (CE1) and double…

  text entry · motor impairment · alternative input · single switch · bio-signals

• The Impact of User Research on Product Design Case Study: Accessibility Ecosystem for Windows Vista

  Annuska Perkins, Tira Cohene · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper describes how user research conducted by Microsoft's Windows Accessible Technology Group shaped the accessibility features in Windows Vista. The research encompassed a wide range of users across major disability types (vision, dexterity, hearing, speech, cognitive),…

  accessibility · user research · operating system · universal design · usability

• South African Sign Language Machine Translation Project

  Lynette van Zijl · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper describes the South African Sign Language Machine Translation (SASL-MT) project at Stellenbosch University, aimed at increasing the South African Deaf community's access to information by automatically translating English text into South African Sign Language (SASL).…

  sign language · machine translation · deaf · South Africa · natural language processing

• Introduction to the Talking Points Project

  Scott Gifford, Jim Knox, Jonathan James, Atul Prakash · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper introduces the Talking Points project from the University of Michigan, a system that attaches digital information to physical places and objects using passive RFID tags, creating an accessible "augmented reality" for blind and visually impaired users. The motivation…

  visual impairment · RFID · wayfinding · location awareness · ubiquitous computing

• Non-speech Input and Speech Recognition for Real-time Control of Computer Games

  Adam J. Sporka, Sri H. Kurniawan, Murni Mahmud, Pavel Slavik · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper compares two acoustic input methods — speech recognition and non-speech humming — for controlling the arcade game Tetris in real time. The motivation is that while turn-based and strategic games are not greatly affected by motor impairments (they allow time for…

  game accessibility · speech recognition · non-speech input · motor impairment · voice control

• PLUMB: An Interface for Users Who are Blind to Display, Create, and Modify Graphs

  Matt Calder, Robert F. Cohen, Jessica Lanzoni, Yun Xu · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This demonstration paper presents the latest version of PLUMB (exPLoring graphs at UMB), extending it beyond passive graph exploration to include the ability for blind and sighted users to create and modify graphs. The original PLUMB system displayed drawn graphs on a Tablet PC…

  visual impairment · graph accessibility · sonification · audio interface · tablet PC

• Linux Screen Reader: Extensible Assistive Technology

  Peter Parente, Brett Clippingdale · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the Linux Screen Reader (LSR), an open source project from IBM that aimed to create a reusable, extensible development platform for building alternative and supplemental user interfaces on the GNOME desktop environment. Unlike conventional screen readers that…

  screen reader · Linux · open source · assistive technology · accessibility API

• Automatically Generating Custom User Interfaces for Users with Physical Disabilities

  Krzysztof Z. Gajos, Jing Jing Long, Daniel S. Weld · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents SUPPLE, a system that automatically generates custom graphical user interfaces tailored to individual users' physical capabilities. Standard desktop GUIs are optimised for typical users interacting via keyboard, mouse, and standard-sized displays, creating a…

  adaptive interface · automatic UI generation · motor impairment · visual impairment · machine learning

• A Cisco Education Tool Accessible to the Vision Impaired

  J. Hope, B. R. von Konsky, I. Murray, L. C. Chew, B. Farrugia · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper describes iNetSim, a universally accessible network simulator developed at Curtin University of Technology to allow vision-impaired and sighted students to complete Cisco Certified Network Associate level 2 (CCNA 2) laboratory sessions. The standard Cisco learning…

  visual impairment · education · screen reader · VoiceOver · network simulation

• The Vocal Joystick: Evaluation of Voice-based Cursor Control Techniques

  Susumu Harada, James A. Landay, Jonathan Malkin, Xiao Li, Jeff A. Bilmes · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents the Vocal Joystick, a system that enables continuous mouse cursor control through vocal parameters — specifically vowel quality, loudness, and pitch. Unlike traditional speech recognition systems that process discrete commands ("move left," "click"), the…

  voice control · cursor control · motor impairment · Fitts law · non-speech input

• Networked Reminiscence Therapy for Individuals with Dementia by Using Photo and Video Sharing

  Noriaki Kuwahara, Shinji Abe, Kiyoshi Yasuda, Kazuhiro Kuwabara · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents a networked reminiscence therapy system that enables remote delivery of therapy to people with dementia using IP videophones combined with web-based photo and video sharing. Reminiscence therapy — where a therapist uses photos, objects, and conversation about…

  dementia · reminiscence therapy · telehealth · video conferencing · aging

• Dynamically Adapting GUIs to Diverse Input Devices

  Scott Carter, Amy Hurst, Jennifer Mankoff, Jack Li · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents an analysis framework and demonstration tool (Input Adapter Tool, IAT) for automatically modifying desktop application interfaces to accommodate alternative input devices. Most GUI applications assume keyboard and mouse input, creating barriers for people…

  adaptive interface · alternative input · switch access · input adaptation · GUI adaptation

• Learning and Perceiving Colors Haptically

  Kanav Kahol, Jamieson French, Laura Bratton, Sethuraman Panchanathan · 2006 · Proceedings of the 8th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '06)

  This paper presents a novel system for enabling blind individuals to learn, perceive, and compare colours through haptic (touch-based) feedback. Colour is a purely visual feature that cannot be perceived through auditory or olfactory senses, yet it plays a significant role in…

  visual impairment · haptic interface · colour perception · sensory substitution · assistive technology