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• A mean for communication between deaf and hearing pairs in inclusive educational settings: the Sessai app

  Soraia Silva Prietch, Emanuel José dos Santos, Lucia Vilela Leite Filgueiras · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This extended abstract presents Sessai, an Android application designed to facilitate communication between Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) students and their hearing peers and teachers in inclusive classroom settings in Brazil. The app uses a WhatsApp-inspired chat interface…

  deaf and hard of hearing · sign language · inclusive education · mobile application · assistive technology

• A plug-in to aid online reading in Spanish

  Luz Rello, Roberto Carlini, Ricardo Baeza-Yates, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents CASSA, a free Chrome browser plug-in designed to help people read Spanish text on the web by providing simpler synonyms and definitions on demand for complex words. The tool builds on the CASSA (Context Aware Synonym Simplification Algorithm) resource, which…

  text simplification · lexical simplification · dyslexia · cognitive accessibility · readability

• Towards a unified definition of web accessibility

  Helen Petrie, Andreas Savva, Christopher Power · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper conducts a systematic conceptual analysis of 50 definitions of web accessibility drawn from books, academic papers, standards documents, guidelines, and online sources spanning 1996 to 2014, authored by researchers and practitioners from 21 countries across all…

  web accessibility · accessibility definitions · usability · assistive technology · older users

• Complexities of Practical Web Automation

  Yury Puzis, Yevgen Borodin, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper systematizes and analyzes the complexities involved in building practical, usable, and accessible web automation systems, drawing on published literature and the authors' years of experience developing automation tools for visually impaired web users. Web automation —…

  web automation · screen readers · visual impairment · non-visual browsing · assistive technology

• HoliBraille: Multipoint Vibrotactile Feedback on Mobile Devices

  Hugo Nicolau, Kyle Montague, Tiago Guerreiro, André Rodrigues, Vicki L. Hanson · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces HoliBraille, a hardware prototype that enables both Braille input and output on standard mobile touchscreen devices using vibrotactile motors. The system attaches six small vibration motors to a 3D-printed case that fits over a smartphone, with each motor…

  braille · blind and low vision · haptic technology · mobile accessibility · vibrotactile feedback

• Browser-Independent Accessible Math

  Neil Soiffer · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper describes the re-architecture of MathPlayer (version 4) from Design Science, transforming it from an Internet Explorer-only plugin into a standalone library that any assistive technology can use to make mathematical notation accessible in any browser or application.…

  MathML · STEM accessibility · screen readers · speech generation · braille

• Just-in-Time Cognitive Assessment and Task Recommendation for Individuals with Cognitive Impairments

  Sean-Ryan Smith · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This doctoral consortium paper proposes a mobile system that performs just-in-time cognitive assessment for people with cognitive impairments (CI), then uses those assessment results to recommend tasks the individual is most likely to be able to perform independently. The core…

  cognitive impairment · cognitive assessment · cognitive rehabilitation · assistive technology · mobile accessibility

• Refreshable Braille Oral Appliance

  M. A. Naomi Jobrack · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents preliminary research toward developing a Refreshable Braille Oral Appliance (RBOA) — a refreshable Braille display embedded in an oral retainer that would allow users to read Braille with their tongue. The envisioned device connects to a wireless lapel…

  braille · haptics · refreshable display · deaf accessibility · assistive technology

• What Not to Wearable: Using Participatory Workshops to Explore Wearable Device Form Factors for Blind Users

  Michele A. Williams, Erin Buehler, Amy Hurst, Shaun K. Kane · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper documents two participatory design workshops conducted with a team of eight visually impaired adults to explore features and form factors for a wearable navigation device. The research team met monthly over nine months as a "design team," with two sessions dedicated…

  wearable technology · participatory design · blind users · navigation · assistive technology

• Understanding Design Considerations for Adaptive User Interfaces for Accessible Pointing with Older and Younger Adults

  Aqueasha Martin-Hammond, Abdullah Ali, Catherine Hornback, Amy K. Hurst · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper explores user preferences for adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) that detect and accommodate pointing difficulties when using a mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen to interact with the web. The researchers conducted participatory design sessions with 38 participants — 8…

  adaptive user interfaces · pointing performance · motor accessibility · older adults · aging

• Enhancing Android Accessibility for Users with Hand Tremor by Reducing Fine Pointing and Steady Tapping

  Yu Zhong, Astrid Weber, Casey Burkhardt, Phil Weaver, Jeffrey P. Bigham · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper introduces Touch Guard, a system-wide Android accessibility service developed as a Google intern research project that helps users with hand tremor interact more accurately with touchscreen devices. The core problem addressed is that conventional touchscreen…

  mobile accessibility · touchscreen accessibility · hand tremor · motor impairment · Android

• Understanding Design Considerations for Adaptive User Interfaces for Accessible Pointing with Older and Younger Adults

  Aqueasha Martin-Hammond, Abdullah Ali, Catherine Hornback, Amy K. Hurst · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper investigates how older and younger adults want adaptive user interfaces (AUIs) to detect and respond to pointing difficulties when using computers. Pointing problems — such as misclicks, erratic cursor movements, and difficulty with target acquisition — affect people…

  adaptive user interfaces · pointing performance · older adults · participatory design · motor impairment

• Capti-Speak: A Speech-Enabled Web Screen Reader

  Vikas Ashok, Yevgen Borodin, Yury Puzis, I. V. Ramakrishnan · 2015 · Proceedings of the 12th International Web for All Conference (W4A)

  This paper presents Capti-Speak, a speech-augmented screen reader for web browsing that allows blind users to combine natural language voice commands with traditional keyboard shortcuts. Built as an extension to the Capti Narrator screen reader, Capti-Speak addresses a…

  screen readers · speech recognition · voice interface · web accessibility · blind users

• The Implementation of a Vocabulary and Grammar for an Open-Source Speech-Recognition Programming Platform

  Jean K. Rodriguez-Cartagena, Andrea C. Claudio-Palacios, Natalia Pacheco-Tallaj, Valerie Santiago González, Patricia Ordonez-Franco · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the development of a standardized vocabulary and grammar for voice-based programming, designed to make coding accessible to people with limited hand mobility or visual impairments. The work is part of the larger Kavita Project, which aims to create an…

  speech recognition · voice input · programming · motor impairment · repetitive strain injury

• The Tactile Graphics Helper: Providing Audio Clarification for Tactile Graphics Using Machine Vision

  Giovanni Fusco, Valerie S. Morash · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH), a machine vision system that enables students who are blind or visually impaired to independently access clarifying information about tactile graphics without sighted assistance. Tactile graphics—raised line drawings,…

  tactile graphics · visual impairment · blindness · STEM education · machine vision

• Breaking Barriers with Assistive Macros

  André Rodrigues · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper introduces Assistive Macros, an Android accessibility service that enables users with motor impairments to perform multi-step interactions with a single selection. The system addresses two critical problems: the extreme time consumption of sequential scanning…

  switch access · motor impairment · mobile accessibility · Android · macros

• Using Dynamic Audio Feedback to Support Peripersonal Reaching in Visually Impaired People

  Graham Wilson, Stephen A. Brewster · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper explores how dynamic audio feedback can help blind and visually impaired people locate and reach for objects in their immediate (peripersonal) space. The research addresses an important developmental challenge: blind children engage less with objects in…

  visual impairment · audio feedback · sonification · spatial awareness · child development

• Can We Make Dynamic, Accessible and Fun One-Switch Video Games?

  Sebastián Aced López, Fulvio Corno, Luigi De Russis · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper tackles a significant gap in accessible gaming: children with severe motor disabilities who rely on single-switch input are typically limited to static, time-independent games that lack the dynamic engagement of mainstream video games. The fundamental…

  switch access · game accessibility · motor disabilities · children · assistive technology

• TactileMaps.net: A Web Interface for Generating Customized 3D-Printable Tactile Maps

  Brandon T. Taylor, Anind K. Dey, Dan P. Siewiorek, Asim Smailagic · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper presents TactileMaps.net, a web-based tool that enables visually impaired users to independently generate customized 3D-printable tactile maps. Tactile maps are valuable tools for helping blind individuals understand their environment, but traditionally…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · 3D printing · maps · wayfinding

• Collaborative Creation of Digital Tactile Graphics

  Jens Bornschein, Denise Prescher, Gerhard Weber · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents the Tangram Workstation, a collaborative system enabling sighted transcribers and blind reviewers to work together in real-time when creating tactile graphics. The fundamental insight is that current tactile graphics production involves sighted transcribers…

  visual impairment · tactile graphics · collaboration · pin-matrix display · refreshable braille display

• ForeSee: A Customizable Head-Mounted Vision Enhancement System for People with Low Vision

  Yuhang Zhao, Sarit Szpiro, Shiri Azenkot · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents ForeSee, a video see-through augmented reality system that enhances the visual experience for people with low vision. Unlike assistive technologies that bypass vision entirely (like screen readers), ForeSee leverages users' remaining functional vision—which…

  low vision · augmented reality · head-mounted display · vision enhancement · magnification

• A System for Controlling Assisted Living Environments Using Mobile Devices

  Paulo A. Condado, Fernando G. Lobo · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This paper presents EasyHouse, a smartphone-based home automation system designed to be accessible for people with motor disabilities while remaining usable by all family members. The system addresses a gap in the smart home market: most domotic (home automation) products target…

  home automation · smart home · motor disabilities · cerebral palsy · mobile accessibility

• The Invisible Work of Accessibility: How Blind Employees Manage Accessibility in Mixed-Ability Workplaces

  Stacy M. Branham, Shaun K. Kane · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This qualitative field study examines how blind employees navigate accessibility in shared office environments where they work alongside sighted colleagues. The researchers conducted a multi-session study with five blind office workers (ages 25-54) across different…

  blindness · workplace accessibility · assistive technology · screen readers · employment

• Using In-Situ Projection to Support Cognitively Impaired Workers at the Workplace

  Markus Funk, Sven Mayer, Albrecht Schmidt · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This research investigates whether projecting assembly instructions directly onto a workspace (in-situ projection) can help cognitively impaired workers complete more complex tasks compared to traditional pictorial instructions. The work addresses a significant barrier to…

  cognitive disability · workplace accessibility · augmented reality · in-situ projection · sheltered work

• An Enhanced Electrolarynx with Automatic Fundamental Frequency Control based on Statistical Prediction

  Kou Tanaka, Tomoki Toda, Graham Neubig, Sakriani Sakti, Satoshi Nakamura · 2015 · ASSETS '15: Proceedings of the 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers & Accessibility

  This demonstration paper presents a prototype system that enhances electrolarynx speech by automatically controlling pitch (fundamental frequency, or F0) using statistical prediction. An electrolarynx is a speaking aid device used by laryngectomees—people who have had their…

  electrolarynx · laryngectomy · speech synthesis · assistive technology · voice prosthesis