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Universal interfaces and information technology
Published in Alex Mihailidis, Roger Smith, Rehabilitation Engineering, 2023
Gregg Vanderheiden, Jutta Treviranus
The second approach, adapt or provide adapters to individual products after manufacture, has been around as long as there have been inventive people with disabilities and/or inventive friends. This approach basically focuses on custom adapting the devices to the individual so that they are operable by the individual. This includes, for example, adding tactile markings to a stove or microwave or putting grab bars near the toilet. Adaptations for information and communication technology include special keyboards, screen readers, and enlargers. This category includes products that are developed on a custom basis for individuals, as well as commercially available adaptive assistive technologies used with mainstream products to make the mainstream products more accessible and usable by individuals with particular disabilities. These bridging or adaptive technologies are especially important for individuals with severe and/or multiple disabilities, where building sufficient accessibility into mainstream products is not practical or not yet practical. It is also important in employment settings where the employee with a disability must be able to access a product and use it efficiently enough to be competitive and productive so a tight fit to devices at the worksite is required.
Usability Testing
Published in Julie A. Jacko, The Human–Computer Interaction Handbook, 2012
Usability tests with disabled participants require careful planning. Testers must understand the participants’ disabilities and adjust their procedures accordingly. Several researchers have published “lessons learned” from their experience with disabled participants (Coyne 2005; Grossnickle 2004; the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC) 2004; Lepistö and Ovaska 2004; and Swierenga and Guy 2003). Some of these lessons include the following:Recruiting disabled participants is more time consuming than recruiting general population participants. Local organizations and support groups may be willing to help.Disabled participants may need assistance getting to the usability lab.Consent forms must be accessible to all participants.Blind participants may require electronic or Braille versions.Participants with learning or cognitive disabilities may require special consideration to ensure they understand the test and their rights.Deaf participants may require a sign language interpreter, who needs to be informed about the goals of the study.Participants with disabilities may require extra assistance understanding the tasks and may have trouble thinking aloud. Strain, Shaikh, and Boardman (2007) conducted concurrent think aloud tests with blind participants and found the audio from the screen reader interfered with the conversation.Participants with physical disabilities may require adaptive technology to interact with the computer. Be sure the devices are working before participants arrive.Because of the great variability in disabilities, it may take more participants than typical usability tests.It can be especially difficult to observe participants who use Braille readers, as there is currently no good way to follow what the participant is reading.
Influence of adaptive video gaming on quality of life and social relationships
Published in Assistive Technology, 2023
Drew H. Redepenning, Sara A. Huss, Shivaali Maddali
The social benefits of gaming are one contributing factor to the positive influence of gaming. Social relationships built in online gaming have been shown to be comparable to those made from in-person interactions (Yee, 2006), and gaming with friends offline has been shown to strengthen personal relationships (Snodgrass et al., 2011). For individuals with disabilities, social relationships play a large role in overall mental health and well-being (Tough et al., 2017). Therefore, adaptive gaming may contribute to increasing the well-being of individuals with disabilities by facilitating enhanced social interactions. Individuals with disabilities may also see improvements in daily independence through use of adaptive gaming equipment, as it can translate to functional tasks including computer and environmental access, which have been shown to increase quality of life (Baldassin et al., 2018).
Optimized tongue driven system using artificial intelligence
Published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering: Imaging & Visualization, 2023
Mansour H. Assaf, Rahul Kumar, Krishneel Sharma, Bibhya Sharma
In the recent past, significant investments have come from HEIs in the research and development of assistive tools and technologies for inclusive learning systems, but also to extend beyond and improve inter alia the accessibility, usability and transportation for people with disabilities. The ATs are not only helping the disabled to communicate their intentions to others but also efficiently equipping them to sufficiently self-care and be more independent and to embark on educational, employment and recreational activities of their choice. This AT can be any device, software or equipment that can help these students with their learning activities and related challenges. Several ATs have been researched and developed to help students having physical impairments, dyslexia or cognitive problems learn equitably in their inside and out of classroom environments. The common examples include text-to-speech software, adaptive keyboards and mouse, low-tech tools such as hearing aids, lined paper and pencil grips, and autonomous wheel chairs.
Exploration of Assistive Technologies Used by People with Quadriplegia Caused by Degenerative Neurological Diseases
Published in International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2018
Wenxin Feng, Mehrnoosh Sameki, Margrit Betke
The study showed that people with quadriplegia caused by neurological diseases have strong needs for efficient text-entry and communication that are often not met. Opportunities exist for assistive technology researchers and designers to improve the options for these individuals, for example, by developing personalized or adaptive systems that could provide better support for people with quadriplegia.