Accessibility Assistive Technology And Digital Environments

Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics and the Affiliated Conferences, Nice, France, 24-27 July 2024.

"Access Technology for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility, the second edition of 2008's Assistive Technology for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment, uses clear language to describe the range of technology solutions that exists to facilitate low vision and nonvisual access to print and digital information. Part 1 gives teachers, professionals, and families an overview of current technologies including refreshable braille displays, screen readers, 3D printers, cloud computing, tactile media, and integrated development environments. Part 2 builds on this foundation, providing readers with a conceptual and practical framework to guide a comprehensive technology evaluation process. As did its predecessor, Access Technology for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility is focused on giving people who are blind or visually impaired equal access to all activities of self-determined living, allowing them to be seamlessly integrated within their home, school, and work communities"--

The collective depth and tenure of experience of the authors in advancing accessibility practice is truly exceptional. In practical terms, the organization of the book makes clear the work to be done and the imperative for doing it. It is about understanding the context for accessibility and making change happen in policy, practice, and professional development. At QM, our position is straightforward. A course is not quality unless it is accessible for all. This book represents the many ways our community is walking that talk. -- from the Foreword by Deb Adair, Executive Director of Quality Matters Approximately 8.5% of the general population of the United States has a disability affecting their computer and Internet use, which translates to over 28 million people in the U.S. alone whose disability impacts their access to digital content. Recent data indicates that around 19% of undergraduate students have a disability, yielding consequential implications for institutions of higher education. Regardless of disabilities or environmental constraints, educators have a legal and ethical responsibility to create online learning experiences that are accessible and usable by all learners. Addressed to higher education administrators, instructional designers, faculty developers, and faculty, this edited volume showcases the experiences and practices of Quality Matters institutions around the core tenets of digital accessibility, offering examples of policy, processes, practices, tools, and professional development. The contributors represent a carefully curated body of institution types and classifications to ensure that all readers can transfer concepts into the contexts of their respective institutions. The book situates the digital accessibility movement within the context of major federal legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilties Act of 1990. It traces the evolution of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for online course design and professional development based on the Quality Matters framework. Subsequent chapters describe the evolution of accessibility policy development as a driver of organizational culture, as well as a continuum of course design practices that can be implemented to proactively develop inclusive instructional materials. The Guide concludes by identifying a myriad of professional development formats for fostering accessibility knowledge and skill acquisition, including asynchronous workshops, micro credentials, and train-the-trainer models, sharing evaluation protocols that foster continuous improvement. Written for practitioners by practitioners, this book addresses vital compliance issues and maps a range of proven practices that will enrich the learning experience of all learners in digital environments.

Providing a holistic and client-centered approach, Assistive Technologies and Environmental Interventions in Healthcare explores the individual’s needs within the environment, examines the relationship between disability and a variety of traditional and cutting-edge technologies, and presents a humanistic discussion of Technology-Environment Intervention (TEI). Written by a multidisciplinary team of authors, this text introduces readers to a variety of conceptual practice models and the clinical reasoning perspectives. It also provides insight into how designers go about solving human-tech problems, discusses best practices for both face-to-face and virtual teams, and looks at the psychological, sociocultural, and cognitive factors behind the development and provision of assistive technologies. Examines a wide range of technologies and environmental interventions Demonstrates how a better understanding of the complexity of human interaction with both the physical and social environment can lead to better use of technology Explores the future of technology and research in TEI Complete with a range of learning features such as keywords, case studies and review questions, this book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in occupational therapy and other related health professions, as well as those undertaking certification and board examinations.

This book addresses emerging issues in usability, interface design, human–computer interaction, user experience and assistive technology. It highlights research aimed at understanding human interactions with products, services and systems and focuses on finding effective approaches for improving the user experience. It also discusses key issues in designing and providing assistive devices and services for individuals with disabilities or impairment, offering them support with mobility, communication, positioning, environmental control and daily living. The book covers modeling as well as innovative design concepts, with a special emphasis on user-centered design, and design for specific populations, particularly the elderly. Further topics include virtual reality, digital environments, gaming, heuristic evaluation and forms of device interface feedback (e.g. visual and haptic). Based on the AHFE 2021 Conferences on Usability and User Experience, Human Factors and Wearable Technologies, Human Factors in Virtual Environments and Game Design, and Human Factors and Assistive Technology, held virtually on 25–29 July, 2021, from USA, this book provides academics and professionals with an extensive source of information and a timely guide to tools, applications and future challenges in these fields.

The revolution in accessible computer technology was fueled by disability activism, the interactive nature of personal computers, and changing public policy. In 1974, not long after developing the first universal optical character recognition technology, Raymond Kurzweil struck up a conversation with a blind man on a flight. Kurzweil explained that he was searching for a use for his new software. The blind man expressed interest: One of the frustrating obstacles that blind people grappled with, he said, was that no computer program could translate text into speech. Inspired by this chance meeting, Kurzweil decided that he must put his new innovation to work to “overcome this principal handicap of blindness.” By 1976, he had built a working prototype, which he dubbed the Kurzweil Reading Machine. This type of innovation demonstrated the possibilities of computers to dramatically improve the lives of people living with disabilities. In Making Computers Accessible, Elizabeth R. Petrick tells the compelling story of how computer engineers and corporations gradually became aware of the need to make computers accessible for all people. Motivated by user feedback and prompted by legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which offered the promise of equal rights via technological accommodation, companies developed sophisticated computerized devices and software to bridge the accessibility gap. People with disabilities, Petrick argues, are paradigmatic computer users, demonstrating the personal computer’s potential to augment human abilities and provide for new forms of social, professional, and political participation. Bridging the history of technology, science and technology studies, and disability studies, this book traces the psychological, cultural, and economic evolution of a consumer culture aimed at individuals with disabilities, who increasingly rely on personal computers to make their lives richer and more interconnected.

Assistive technology is essential in today's world to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to participate fully in school, work, and life. But which assistive technology tools are right for your students? This comprehensive handbook is the essential resource for teachers of students with visual impairments, administrators, technology professionals, and anyone who needs to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology. Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment contains a wealth of technical information translated into clear, user-friendly terms, including: - An overview of the full range of assistive technology that students can use to manage information in print or electronic formats-whether they use vision, touch or hearing to access information - How to select appropriate tools and strategies - A structured process for conducting a technology assessment - Detailed assessment forms that can be used to determine students' technology needs and solutions to address them - Advice on writing up program recommendations based on assessment results - Reproducible, blank assessment forms

Most people working within the higher education sector understand the importance of making e-learning accessible to students with disabilities, yet it is not always clear exactly how this should be accomplished. E-Learning and Disability in Higher Education evaluates current accessibility practice and critiques the extent to which 'best' practices can be confidently identified and disseminated. This second edition has been fully updated and includes a focus on research that seeks to give 'voice' to disabled students in a way that provides an indispensible insight into their relationship with technologies and the institutions in which they study. Examining the social, educational, and political background behind making online learning accessible in higher and further education, E-Learning and Disability in Higher Education considers the roles and perspectives of the key stake-holders involved in e-learning: lecturers, professors, instructional designers, learning technologists, student support services, staff developers, and senior managers and administrators.

This book focuses on emerging issues in usability, interface design, human–computer interaction, user experience and assistive technology. It highlights research aimed at understanding human interaction with products, services and systems, and focuses on finding effective approaches for improving user experience. It also discusses key issues in designing and providing assistive devices and services to individuals with disabilities or impairment, to assist mobility, communication, positioning, environmental control and daily living. The book covers modelling as well as innovative design concepts, with a special emphasis on user-centered design, and design for specific populations, particularly the elderly. Virtual reality, digital environments, heuristic evaluation and forms of device interface feedback of (e.g. visual and haptic) are also among the topics covered. Based on the both the AHFE 2019 Conference on Usability & User Experience and the AHFE 2019 Conference on Human Factors and Assistive Technology, held on July 24-28, 2019, Washington D.C., USA, this book reports on cutting-edge findings, research methods and user-centred evaluation approaches.