Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

This paper examines the relationship between stigmatic effects of design of technology products for the older and disabled and contextualizes this within wider social themes such as the functional, social, medical and technology models of disability. Inclusive design approaches are identified as unbiased methods for designing for the wider population that may accommodate the needs and desires of people with impairments, therefore reducing ’aesthetic stigma’. Two case studies illustrate stigmatic and nonstigmatic designs.

As many as 10 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a complex neurological movement disorder called Essential Tremor (ET), with many more worldwide [1]. ET is a condition that is particularly troublesome during the use of computer programs that require good mouse control. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hardware and software versions of a smoothing filter labeled the Tremor Control Mouse (TCM) could provide short- and/or long-term benefits for individuals who have difficulty using a computer because of ET of the hands. A paired-samples -test revealed significant differences (<.05) between participants’ responses to ease-of-use questions regarding traditional mouse use compared to TCM use. Subjective responses to survey items on TCM advantages, disadvantages, and helpfulness were very positive overall and reflected the participants’ belief that the TCM was a useful device in enhancing mouse control and, consequently, computer use.

Technical devices and software applications with an increasing number of functions are appearing on the market. With an aging population, there is a growing need to consider less experienced users. Integrating training applications in technical devices is a promising approach to close the knowledge gap of these users. But how should a training application be designed? We developed a training program which teaches the use of a mobile phone in a task oriented manner. Training versions were designed which differ in their degree of interactivity: The learner trained either with an improved paper-based manual or with an interactive e-learning application, which integrates guided exercises in the learning process. These training versions are compared experimentally. Preliminary results show that both groups learned successfully to use a mobile phone.

User-testing is a critical activity in software development. However, eliciting appropriate test-users can be difficult. Recent work showed that (during user-testing of educational software) dyslexic final-year students identified a larger number of subtle (yet significant) issues in more detail than other students. However, final year students were not the target users of the software (designed to teach fundamental programming concepts). This paper presents preliminary results of work replicating the previous study, but with participants from the target user group (first year students). The first year students identified fewer issues and gave less detail than the final year students. The dyslexic students identified more issues in greater detail than the other students. This highlights a distinction between the perceived target user group (first year students) and the actual target user group (students who don’t understand programming concepts). Dyslexia may push people deeper into the actual target user group for educational software.

In an emergency such as an earthquake, it is important to give information in different formats that permit everyone to realize rapid assimilation. In public spaces, information is presented to the hearing impaired in text as well as sign language movies. In this case, it is considered that the readout time and impression of the information depend on the layout of sign language movies and text used. However, there are no comprehensive guidelines on the proper layout of sign language movies and text. This paper focuses on optimizing the layout of text and sign language movies to decrease the readout time of the hearing impaired and the normal hearing. Tests show that the optimal spatial separation between the text and its accompanying sign language movie depends on their relative position. They also indicate that the readout time depends on the separation between the line head of text and the center line of the translator in the sign language movie.

This paper presents the results of ongoing research on methods for evaluating the accessibility conformance level of software and especially operating systems. Our approach is based on recommendations from software accessibility standards, and defines techniques for evaluating each of those recommendations. The proposed method has been applied to evaluate the accessibility features of one closed-source and one open-source desktop operating system, Microsoft Windows XP and the Ubuntu Linux distribution, respectively. Specifically, the functionality we have evaluated was task management and file system management. From the point of view of the evaluation process, we conclude that more work is needed on the development of support tools and techniques. And from the point of view of the specific comparison, we conclude that, taking into account the analysed functionality, the current version of the Ubuntu Linux distribution is slightly more accessible than the current Windows release, though neither of the systems fully conform to the accessibility standards.

This paper presents activities and challenges when implementing information processing technologies for people with hearing and visual impairments. Other than keyboard based input and monitor based for output modalities should be employed for this category of users. More important is that these modalities are crucial element for successful implementation of complex systems designed for disabled people. Some activities carried on in Lithuania implementing applications oriented for disabled people or using speech technologies and targeted to impaired people are presented too.

This paper examines the context of mobile computing within facilities maintenance activities on the basis of an analysis of cursor movement and point and click disruptions that may occur when a number of perturbations are induced by the computing environment. An analysis based on context-aware computing distinguishes between situational induced impairments and disabilities (SIID) whose properties are related to Health Induced Impairments and Disabilities (HIID) such as motion impairment, tremor or spasm. A number of technology solutions based on Assistive Technology interventions for motion impaired cursor movement stabilization are possible approaches to counter SIID in Mobile computing for maintenance environments. A software based cursor movement smoothing method based on statistical state space filtering is presented as an example of a new development of one such approach.

In many respects, cognitive difficulties and learning impairments are the poor relation of Universal Access (UA) research. Research into emotional impairments is even less common. A simple review of almost any general UA or Assistive Technology conference proceedings will typically show a strong bias towards sensory (vision and hearing) impairment, with a strong minority addressing motor impairment issues. This is an improvement on the situation a few years ago where the vast majority of the papers would be based solely on blindness, despite that particularly impairment constituting only 14% of people with a vision impairment and 2% of the overall prevalence of functional impairment in the general population [7]. This paper discusses the reasons why such a disparity exists and summarises the outcome of an International Symposium, hosted by the IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center, to establish the state-of-the-art in research and best practices for supporting access for users with cognitive difficulties and learning impairments.

During the years 2001–2004 STAKES implemented a national development project VETURI - networking interpreter services -. Its objective was to improve the preconditions for the availability and quality of interpreter services. The starting point for this development work was to provide a service with a sufficiently large population base, in the form of regionally co-ordinated network co-operation of a variety of stakeholders. A part of the service in the project was given as remote videophone service. Remote interpreting made an interpreter’s work easier because she did not need to travel and was able to work from a familiar work location. New ways to produce services enabled the growth of remote interpretation service. Larger population base and service resources made it possible to bring service also there where it has not been earlier.