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• Constructive Exploration of Spatial Information by Blind Users

  Jochen Schneider, Thomas Strothotte · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Magdeburg introduces "constructive exploration," a novel approach to helping blind people learn spatial layouts by actively building physical representations of routes and areas using building blocks, guided by an interactive computer system.…

  blind users · spatial cognition · tactile maps · haptic interface · force feedback

• A Domain Specific Language Framework for Non-Visual Browsing of Complex HTML Structures

  E. Pontelli, W. Xiong, G. Gupta, A. I. Karshmer · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from New Mexico State University, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of South Florida presents a framework for navigating complex HTML structures — specifically tables, frames, and forms — that are particularly challenging for screen reader users. The core…

  table accessibility · non-visual browsing · screen readers · domain specific language · HTML tables

• Evaluating Web Resources for Disability Access

  Murray Rowan, Peter Gregor, David Sloan, Paul Booth · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Dundee's Digital Media Access Group argues that existing accessibility evaluation methods in 2000 were individually insufficient and proposes a comprehensive meta-methodology that combines multiple evaluation techniques into a structured…

  accessibility evaluation · accessibility audit · automated testing · manual testing · heuristic evaluation

• The Development of Language Processing Support for the ViSiCAST Project

  R. Elliott, J. R. W. Glauert, J. R. Kennaway, I. Marshall · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of East Anglia describes early work on the ViSiCAST project (Virtual Signing, Animation, Capture, Storage and Transmission), a 3-year EU-funded initiative to provide improved access to services for Deaf citizens through sign language presented by a…

  sign language · sign language avatar · virtual signing · British Sign Language · machine translation

• Transcoding Proxy for Nonvisual Web Access

  Hironobu Takagi, Chieko Asakawa · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents a transcoding proxy system developed at IBM Japan that transforms existing web pages to be more accessible for blind users. The authors address the growing problem of web pages being designed with increasingly complex layouts that cram multiple functions and…

  web accessibility · screen reader · transcoding · proxy · blind and low vision

• Constructing Sonified Haptic Line Graphs for the Blind Student: First Steps

  Rameshsharma Ramloll, Wai Yu, Stephen Brewster, Beate Riedel, Mike Burton, Gisela Dimigen · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents early research from the University of Glasgow's MultiVis project, a three-year initiative investigating how different sensory modalities can make statistical information representations accessible to blind people. The focus is on making line graphs — a…

  data visualization · sonification · haptic technology · blindness and low vision · tactile graphics

• Low Vision: The Role of Visual Acuity in the Efficiency of Cursor Movement

  Julie A. Jacko, Armando B. Barreto, Gottlieb J. Marmet, Josey Y. M. Chu, Holly S. Bautsch, Ingrid U. Scott, Robert H. Rosa · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This study investigates how visual acuity affects cursor movement efficiency for users with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of visual impairment for Americans aged 75 and older. The researchers note that while existing accessibility research has focused…

  low vision · age-related macular degeneration · cursor movement · graphical user interface · icon size

• A Comparison of Voice Controlled and Mouse Controlled Web Browsing

  Kevin Christian, Bill Kules, Ben Shneiderman, Adel Youssef · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This within-subjects study from the University of Maryland compared voice-controlled web browsing with traditional mouse-based browsing using 18 participants. The researchers used Conversa, a commercial voice browser from Conversational Computing that renders pages visually…

  voice browser · speech recognition · web navigation · voice control · hypertext

• A Virtual Reality-Based Exercise Program for Stroke Rehabilitation

  David Jack, Rares Boian, Alma Merians, Sergei V. Adamovich, Marilyn Tremaine, Michael Recce, Grigore C. Burdea, Howard Poizner · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from Rutgers University presents a PC-based desktop virtual reality system designed to rehabilitate hand function in stroke patients. Stroke is identified as the leading cause of adult disability, with 65% of the nearly four million stroke survivors in the United…

  virtual reality · stroke recovery · rehabilitation · haptic technology · force feedback

• Tactile Imaging Using Watershed-Based Image Segmentation

  Sergio E. Hernandez, Kenneth E. Barner · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Delaware proposes a new image segmentation method for automatically converting visual images into tactile representations suitable for display on tactile devices such as microcapsule (swell) paper. The core problem addressed is that existing…

  tactile graphics · image processing · blindness and low vision · image accessibility · computer vision

• Wearable Interfaces for Orientation and Wayfinding

  David A. Ross, Bruce B. Blasch · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the Atlanta VA Rehabilitation R&D Center presents the development and evaluation of three wearable orientation interfaces designed to help people with severe visual impairment maintain spatial orientation while navigating, with street crossing as the critical…

  wayfinding · orientation and mobility · wearable technology · blindness and low vision · haptic feedback

• Evaluation of Scanning User Interfaces Using Real-Time-Data Usage Logs

  Peter O'Neill, Chris Roast, Mark Hawley · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from Sheffield Hallam University and Barnsley District General Hospital presents a novel approach to evaluating electronic assistive technology (EAT) for people with severe disabilities through automated analysis of real-time usage logs. The research focuses on the…

  switch access · scanning interface · assistive technology · cerebral palsy · usage analytics

• Neck Range of Motion and Use of Computer Head Controls

  Edmund LoPresti, David M. Brienza, Jennifer Angelo, Lars Gilbertson, Jonathan Sakai · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This study from the University of Pittsburgh investigates the relationship between neck range of motion and performance when using computer head controls — devices that translate head movements into cursor movements on screen. The research involved 15 subjects without…

  alternative input · head tracking · motor disability · multiple sclerosis · spinal cord injury

• A Framework of Assistive Pointers for Low Vision Users

  Julie Fraser, Carl Gutwin · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Saskatchewan proposes a four-dimensional framework for systematically exploring the design space of assistive mouse pointers for low vision computer users. The authors argue that while various pointer assistance techniques exist — such as…

  low vision · mouse pointer · cursor movement · screen magnification · design frameworks

• Annotation-Based Transcoding for Nonvisual Web Access

  Chieko Asakawa, Hironobu Takagi · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This companion paper to the same authors' transcoding proxy paper (also at Assets '00) provides a detailed technical description of the annotation-based component of their IBM Japan transcoding system. The core problem addressed is that modern web pages are designed with visual…

  web accessibility · screen reader · transcoding · non-visual access · blindness and low vision

• The LF-ASD Brain Computer Interface: On-Line Identification of Imagined Finger Flexions in Subjects with Spinal Cord Injuries

  Steven G. Mason, Ziba Bozorgzadeh, Gary E. Birch · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents the first evaluation of the Low-Frequency Asynchronous Switch Design (LF-ASD) brain-computer interface with individuals who have high-level spinal cord injuries. The LF-ASD is a brain-controlled switch designed specifically for asynchronous control…

  brain-computer interface · spinal cord injury · EEG · switch access · motor imagery

• An Empirical Investigation of Ways in Which Some of the Problems Encountered by Some Dyslexics May Be Alleviated Using Computer Techniques

  Peter Gregor, Alan F. Newell · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper describes the development and user evaluation of a highly configurable word processing environment designed to help dyslexic users read and produce text more effectively. The researchers at the University of Dundee identified nine common problems dyslexics encounter:…

  dyslexia · reading accessibility · text customization · user-centred design · word processing

• A Java Programming Tool for Students with Visual Disabilities

  Ann C. Smith, Joan M. Francioni, Sam D. Matzek · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents JavaSpeak, a specialized programming environment designed to make learning Java accessible to students with visual disabilities. The authors, computer science educators at Saint Mary's University and Winona State University, identified three key barriers…

  programming education · visual impairment · screen reader · code accessibility · auditory interface

• Investigating the Applicability of User Models for Motion-Impaired Users

  Simeon Keates, John Clarkson, Peter Robinson · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Cambridge investigates whether the Model Human Processor (MHP) — a foundational user model from Card, Moran, and Newell's "The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction" — accurately describes how motion-impaired users interact with computers.…

  motor impairment · user modeling · universal access · human-computer interaction · cerebral palsy

• Fast Web by Using Updated Content Extraction and a Bookmark Facility

  Tsuyoshi Ebina, Seiji Igi, Teruhisa Miyake · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from Japan's Communications Research Laboratory presents two techniques for improving speech-based web navigation for visually impaired users. The core problem is that accessing web pages through speech output is significantly slower than visual browsing — users must…

  web accessibility · visual impairment · web navigation · screen reader · speech-based navigation

• New Technology Enables Many-Fold Reduction in the Cost of Refreshable Braille Displays

  John Roberts, Oliver Slattery, David Kardos, Brett Swope · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes a novel rotating-wheel design for refreshable Braille displays that could reduce costs by up to a factor of ten compared to existing displays. The dominant cost factor in conventional Braille…

  braille · refreshable braille display · assistive technology · hardware · tactile accessibility

• A Study of Blind Drawing Practice: Creating Graphical Information Without the Visual Channel

  Hesham M. Kamel, James A. Landay · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from UC Berkeley investigates how blind users create drawings and proposes a grid-based model for non-visual drawing tools. The researchers began by observing that existing drawing tools for blind users fail because they lack adequate contextual feedback — blind users…

  tactile graphics · blindness and low vision · non-visual interaction · drawing tools · accessible graphics

• A Semantic Transcoding System to Adapt Web Services for Users with Disabilities

  Anita W. Huang, Neel Sundaresan · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from IBM Almaden Research Center presents Aurora, a semantic transcoding system that adapts web-based services for users with disabilities by extracting the meaning of web content rather than simply reformatting its syntax. The key problem Aurora addresses is that…

  web accessibility · web transcoding · content adaptation · XML · semantic web

• Programming by Voice, VocalProgramming

  Stephen C. Arnold, Leo Mark, John Goldthwaite · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents VocalProgrammer, a system designed to enable programming entirely by voice, motivated primarily by the high incidence of repetitive stress injuries (RSI) among programmers. The authors note that the total cost of RSI of all types was estimated at nearly $6…

  voice programming · speech recognition · repetitive stress injury · code accessibility · assistive technology

• Human Factors Issues in the Neural Signals Direct Brain-Computer Interface

  Melody M. Moore, Philip R. Kennedy · 2000 · Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents the software and human factors aspects of the Neural Signals direct brain-computer interface project — one of the first implanted BCI systems tested in humans. Unlike non-invasive BCIs that read EEG signals through the scalp, this system uses a neurotrophic…

  brain-computer interface · locked-in syndrome · neural prosthetics · assistive technology · human-computer interaction