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• Investigating the Implications of 3D Printing in Special Education

  Erin Buehler, Niara Comrie, Megan Hofmann, Samantha McDonald, Amy Hurst · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper investigates the use of 3D printing in special education settings through case studies at three sites serving students with cognitive, motor, and visual impairments, and presents GripFab, a simplified 3D modeling tool designed for occupational therapists (OTs) to…

  3D printing · digital fabrication · special education · assistive technology · DIY assistive technology

• The Gest-Rest Family: Exploring Input Possibilities for Wheelchair Armrests

  Patrick Carrington, Jian-Ming Chang, Kevin Chang, Catherine Hornback, Amy Hurst, Shaun K. Kane · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing (TACCESS)

  This paper introduces the Gest-Rest Family, a suite of gesture-based input devices designed to fit over standard power wheelchair armrests, enabling users with upper body motor impairments to interact with computing devices without needing to reach for or hold separate input…

  wheelchair · motor impairment · input device · chairable computing · assistive technology

• NavCog: Turn-by-Turn Smartphone Navigation Assistant for People with Visual Impairments or Blindness

  Dragan Ahmetovic, Cole Gleason, Kris M. Kitani, Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents NavCog, an open-source iOS smartphone navigation system designed to assist people with visual impairments or blindness in navigating complex indoor and outdoor environments. While many blind people can independently traverse familiar routes by…

  indoor navigation · visual impairment · blindness · assistive technology · Bluetooth beacons

• AudioDraw: User Preferences in Non-Visual Diagram Drawing for Touchscreens

  William Grussenmeyer, Eelke Folmer · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates how people who are blind can independently create visual diagrams on touchscreen tablets, addressing a significant gap in accessibility. Diagram-building features in productivity tools like MS Word, PowerPoint, and UML editors are largely inaccessible…

  blindness · touchscreen accessibility · diagram creation · non-visual interaction · STEM accessibility

• TactBack: VibroTactile braille output using smartphone and smartwatch for visually impaired

  Aritra Dhar, Aditya Nittala, Kuldeep Yadav · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents TactBack, a system that uses vibration patterns on off-the-shelf smartphones and smartwatches to convey braille characters haptically. The system was motivated by the limitations of audio-based screen reader feedback (TalkBack) for visually…

  braille · haptic technology · wearable technology · visual impairment · deafblindness

• Using data from social media websites to inspire the design of assistive technology

  Xing Yu · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes using social media data as a low-cost, scalable method to inform the design of assistive technology, addressing limitations of traditional user research approaches. The author argues that designing assistive technology faces unique…

  assistive technology · social media · natural language processing · machine learning · prosthetics

• Computer vision-based analysis of web page structure for assistive interfaces

  Michael Cormier · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a novel approach to understanding web page structure by analyzing rendered page images using computer vision, rather than relying on the DOM tree or source code as most existing web page segmentation methods do. The author argues that the…

  computer vision · web page segmentation · screen reader accessibility · cognitive accessibility · machine learning

• Supporting the selection of web content modality based on user interactions logs

  Fabiano Marcon de Moraes, Vagner Figueredo de Santana, Juliana Cristina Braga · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper explores using machine learning to automatically detect whether a web user is employing assistive technology based solely on their interaction patterns during a single pageview, without requiring explicit profile configuration or customization. Grounded in Universal…

  universal design · machine learning · personalization · assistive technology · user interaction

• WebReader: a screen reader for everyone, everywhere

  Aurelio De Rosa, Donovan Justice · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents WebReader, a free and open source JavaScript library that implements a subset of screen reader features directly within web pages, requiring no software installation beyond a web browser. The project addresses two key limitations of traditional…

  screen readers · web accessibility · JavaScript · Web Speech API · open source

• Towards Universal Rendering in MathJax

  Davide Cervone, Peter Krautzberger, Volker Sorge · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents the MathJax Consortium's effort to transform MathJax from a purely visual mathematics rendering library into a universal rendering solution that supports readers with visual, print, and motor impairments. The authors describe how mathematical content on the…

  STEM accessibility · mathematics accessibility · MathML · screen readers · universal design

• A Usability Evaluation of Two Virtual Aids to Enhance Cursor Accessibility for People with Motor Impairments

  J. Eduardo Pérez, Xabier Valencia, Myriam Arrue, Julio Abascal · 2016 · Proceedings of the 13th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper from the University of the Basque Country presents and evaluates two virtual cursor enhancements designed to help people with motor impairments perform pointing and clicking tasks during web browsing. The "circular cursor" creates a translucent circular active area…

  motor accessibility · assistive technology · input devices · pointing devices · web accessibility

• OnScreenDualScribe with Point-and-Click Interface: A Viable Computer Interaction Alternative based on a Virtual Modified Numerical Keypad

  Kavita Krishnaswamy, Patricia Ordóñez, Phillip Beckerle, Stephan Rinderknecht, Torsten Felzer · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents a first-person evaluation of the OnScreenDualScribe (OSDS) Point-and-Click Interface, a virtual keyboard designed for people who cannot use a standard keyboard or mouse effectively. The first author, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), can only interact…

  text entry · motor disability · virtual keyboard · assistive technology · word prediction

• Remote Access Programs to Better Integrate Individuals with Disabilities

  Thomas Hahn, Hidayat Ur Rahman, Richard Segall, Christoph Heim, Raphaela Brunson, Ankush Sharma, Maryam Aslam, Ana Lara-Rodriguez, Md. Sahidul Islam, Neha Gupta, Charles S. Embry, Patrick Grossmann, Shahrukh Babar, Gregory A. Skibinski, Fusheng Tang · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This experience report, written primarily from the perspective of the first author who is legally blind due to albinism, describes how remote access programs (such as TeamViewer and AnyDesk) combined with voice communication tools (Skype, Google Hangout) can significantly…

  visual impairment · low vision · screen magnification · remote access · education

• How People with Low Vision Access Computing Devices: Understanding Challenges and Opportunities

  Sarit Felicia Anais Szpiro, Shafeka Hashash, Yuhang Zhao, Shiri Azenkot · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents a contextual inquiry study examining how 11 people with low vision use mainstream computing devices (smartphones, tablets, and computers) to perform common tasks like reading email and browsing news. Low vision affects at least 3.3 million Americans over 40,…

  low vision · screen magnification · visual impairment · mobile accessibility · usability

• Tactile Accessibility: Does Anyone Need a Haptic Glove?

  Andrii Soviak, Anatoliy Borodin, Vikas Ashok, Yevgen Borodin, Yury Puzis, I.V. Ramakrishnan · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper presents FeelX, a low-cost haptic glove system designed to enable blind users to tactilely explore graphical user interfaces (GUIs) by moving their hands on any flat surface such as a desk or table. The fundamental problem addressed is that screen readers reduce…

  blindness · haptic technology · tactile accessibility · screen reader · GUI accessibility

• Comparing Tactile, Auditory, and Visual Assembly Error-Feedback for Workers with Cognitive Impairments

  Thomas Kosch, Romina Kettner, Markus Funk, Albrecht Schmidt · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper compares three modalities of error feedback — tactile, auditory, and visual — for cognitively impaired workers performing manual assembly tasks at sheltered work organizations. Industrial manufacturing companies increasingly outsource assembly tasks to these…

  cognitive accessibility · intellectual disability · workplace accessibility · assistive technology · multimodal interaction

• Uncovering Challenges and Opportunities for 3D Printing Assistive Technology with Physical Therapists

  Samantha McDonald, Niara Comrie, Erin Buehler, Nicholas Carter, Braxton Dubin, Karen Gordes, Sandy McCombe-Waller, Amy Hurst · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This paper investigates the feasibility and challenges of integrating 3D printing into physical therapy (PT) practice for creating customized assistive technology (AT). Physical therapists routinely modify standardized AT devices using temporary materials like Velcro, tape, and…

  3D printing · assistive technology · DIY assistive technology · physical disability · digital fabrication

• Ad-Hoc Access to Musical Sound for Deaf Individuals

  Benjamin Petry, Thavishi Illandara, Juan Pablo Forero, Suranga Nanayakkara · 2016 · Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS '16)

  This poster paper presents MuSS-Bits (Music Sensory Substitution Bits), a wearable sensor-display system that enables deaf individuals to explore musical sound from various audio sources with real-time vibrotactile feedback. While existing sensory substitution systems for music…

  deaf and hard of hearing · music accessibility · sensory substitution · haptic technology · wearable technology

• 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

• Magic Touch: Interacting with 3D Printed Graphics

  Lei Shi, Ross McLachlan, Yuhang Zhao, Shiri Azenkot · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  Magic Touch is a computer vision-based system that augments 3D printed tactile graphics with audio information, addressing a key limitation of physical models for blind users: while 3D printing can effectively convey shapes and textures, text annotations and labels are difficult…

  tactile graphics · 3D printing · computer vision · blind accessibility · audio labeling

• A Platform Agnostic Remote Desktop System for Screen Reading

  Syed Masum Billah, Vikas Ashok, Donald E. Porter, IV Ramakrishnan · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  Sinter addresses a fundamental barrier to remote desktop accessibility: traditional remote desktop technology scrapes pixels from the remote screen and redraws them as bitmaps on the client, losing all semantic information that screen readers require—text content, UI element…

  screen reader · remote desktop · cross-platform accessibility · UI virtualization · blind accessibility

• Gaze Typing Through Foot-Operated Wearable Device

  Vijay Rajanna · 2016 · ASSETS '16: Proceedings of the 18th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility

  This paper presents a dwell-free gaze typing system that combines eye tracking with a foot-operated wearable device to enable text entry for people with motor impairments affecting arms or spine. Traditional gaze typing requires users to "dwell" (fixate) on virtual keyboard keys…

  gaze typing · eye tracking · wearable devices · foot interaction · motor impairment

• Exploring Auditory Graphing Software in the Classroom: The Effect of Auditory Graphs on the Classroom Environment

  Brianna J. Tomlinson, Jared Batterman, Yee Chieh Chew, Ashley Henry, Bruce N. Walker · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study examines the real-world deployment of GNIE (Graph and Number line Input and Exploration), an auditory graphing software developed by Georgia Tech's Sonification Lab, in a middle school math classroom at the Georgia Academy for the Blind over two school years…

  auditory displays · sonification · STEM accessibility · educational technology · visual impairment

• Evaluating Haptic and Auditory Directional Guidance to Assist Blind People in Reading Printed Text Using Finger-Mounted Cameras

  Lee Stearns, Ruofei Du, Uran Oh, Yumeng Wang, Leah Findlater, Rama Chellappa, Jon E. Froehlich · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents HandSight, a finger-mounted camera system that enables blind people to read printed text by tracing their finger across lines while receiving real-time directional guidance to stay on track. The research addresses a significant gap in print accessibility:…

  blindness · wearable technology · haptic feedback · auditory feedback · OCR

• Social Predictors of Assistive Technology Proficiency Among Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments

  Valerie S. Morash, Yue-Ting Siu · 2016 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This study investigates why only about 40% of Teachers of students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) integrate assistive technology into their practice, despite AT being critical for K-12 students' educational engagement and predictive of positive postsecondary outcomes. Previous…

  assistive technology · visual impairment · special education · teacher training · community of practice