Literature Reviews

Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.

• Better Vocabularies for Assistive Communication Aids: Connecting Terms Using Semantic Networks and Untrained Annotators

  Sonya Nikolova, Jordan Boyd-Graber, Christiane Fellbaum, Perry Cook (2009) — Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper presents the design and evaluation of ViVA (Visual Vocabulary for Aphasia), an assistive communication tool that uses semantic networks to help people with aphasia find words more easily. The authors address a fundamental problem with exis…

  • aphasia
  • assistive communication
  • semantic networks
  • visual vocabularies
  • adaptive tools
  • crowdsourcing
  • vocabulary navigation
  • AAC

• Speaking Through Pictures: Images vs. Icons

  Xiaojuan Ma, Jordan Boyd-Graber, Sonya Nikolova, Perry R. Cook (2009) — Proceedings of the 11th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (Assets '09)

  This paper investigates whether freely available web images can serve as effective substitutes for professionally designed icons in assistive communication systems for people with aphasia. Existing icon-based systems like Lingraphica and C-VIC (Compu…

  • aphasia
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • visual communication
  • icon-based communication
  • assistive technology
  • web images
  • elderly users
  • cognitive accessibility

• Click on Bake to Get Cookies: Guiding Word-Finding with Semantic Associations

  Sonya Nikolova, Marilyn Tremaine, Perry R. Cook (2010) — Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010)

  This paper presents ViVA (Visual Vocabulary for Aphasia), a vocabulary navigation system that uses semantic associations to help people with aphasia find words more effectively. The authors address a core challenge in augmentative and alternative com…

  • aphasia
  • semantic networks
  • AAC
  • visual vocabularies
  • word-finding
  • assistive communication
  • adaptive user interfaces
  • lexical access

• Introducing Multimodal Paper-Digital Interfaces for Speech-Language Therapy

  Anne Marie Piper, Nadir Weibel, James D. Hollan (2010) — Proceedings of the 12th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2010)

  This paper explores how multimodal digital pen and paper technology can support speech-language therapy for adults with aphasia and apraxia of speech following stroke or brain injury. The researchers conducted five months of field observations with 1…

  • aphasia
  • apraxia of speech
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • speech-language therapy
  • older adults
  • multimodal interaction
  • digital pen
  • paper-digital interface
  • stroke
  • communication board

• Accessibility of 3D Game Environments for People with Aphasia: An Exploratory Study

  Julia Galliers, Stephanie Wilson, Sam Muscroft, Jane Marshall, Abi Roper, Naomi Cocks, Tim Pring (2011) — The Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper reports on an exploratory study investigating how people with aphasia interact with 3D game environments and related technologies. Conducted as part of the GReAT (Gesture Recognition in Aphasia Therapy) project at City University London, t…

  • aphasia
  • game accessibility
  • virtual reality
  • stroke recovery
  • cognitive accessibility
  • gesture recognition
  • participatory design
  • interaction design

• ACES: Aphasia Emulation, Realism, and the Turing Test

  Joshua Hailpern, Marina Danilevsky, Karrie Karahalios (2011) — Proceedings of the 13th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2011)

  This paper validates the realism of ACES (Aphasia Characteristics Emulation Software), a system that distorts a user's instant messages to simulate the communication effects of aphasia, allowing caregivers, therapists, and family members to experienc…

  • aphasia
  • empathy
  • disability simulation
  • language disorders
  • instant messaging
  • Turing test
  • speech and hearing science
  • caregiver training

• Detecting Linguistic HCI Markers in an Online Aphasia Support Group

  Yoram M. Kalman, Kathleen Geraghty, Cynthia K. Thompson, Darren Gergle (2012) — Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This paper investigates whether the language deficits associated with aphasia — an acquired language disorder typically resulting from stroke or brain injury — can be detected in online written communication. The concept of "HCI markers" is introduce…

  • aphasia
  • computer-mediated communication
  • linguistic analysis
  • online support groups
  • user modeling
  • health monitoring
  • stroke

• What We Talk About: Designing a Context-Aware Communication Tool for People with Aphasia

  Shaun K. Kane, Barbara Linam-Church, Kyle Althoff, Denise McCall (2012) — Proceedings of the 14th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2012)

  This paper describes the design and development of TalkAbout, a context-aware augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) application for tablet devices that adapts its vocabulary to a user's current location and conversation partner. People wit…

  • aphasia
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • context-aware computing
  • participatory design
  • stroke
  • mobile devices
  • adaptive interfaces

• AphasiaWeb: A Social Network for Individuals with Aphasia

  Hannah Miller, Heather Buhr, Chris Johnson, Jerry Hoepner (2013) — Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS)

  This paper presents AphasiaWeb, a social network designed specifically for individuals with aphasia, an acquired language disorder typically resulting from stroke or head injury that impairs speaking, writing, and language comprehension. The authors …

  • aphasia
  • social networks
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • participatory design
  • cognitive accessibility
  • social inclusion
  • tablet applications

• The Field Evaluation of a Mobile Digital Image Communication Application Designed for People with Aphasia

  Meredith Allen, Joanna McGrenere, Barbara Purves (2008) — ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing

  This paper presents PhotoTalk, a mobile application designed to help people with aphasia capture and manage digital photographs for face-to-face communication. The research addresses a significant gap: while AAC devices exist for aphasia, very few ha…

  • aphasia
  • AAC
  • mobile devices
  • field evaluation
  • participatory design
  • image-based communication
  • PDA