Literature Reviews
Reviewed research papers, articles, and publications relevant to digital accessibility.
749 results found tagged assistive technology.
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User Interaction with Word Prediction: The Effects of Prediction Quality
This study investigates how the quality of word prediction systems affects both communication speed and user behavior in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The researchers conducted a controlled experiment with 33 adult participants wh…
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Computers and People with Disabilities
This is a 2008 reprint of a landmark 1992 Communications of the ACM article that issued a "call-to-arms" for research on computers and people with disabilities. Glinert and York argued that human-computer interfaces systematically failed to account f…
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Ubiquitous Accessibility, Common Technology Core, and Micro Assistive Technology: Commentary on "Computers and People with Disabilities"
This influential commentary reflects on the evolution of digital accessibility from 1992 to 2008 and proposes a vision for addressing emerging challenges. Vanderheiden, director of the Trace R&D Center, traces progress from an era when only Apple had…
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The Development and Evaluation of Performance-Based Functional Assessment: A Methodology for the Measurement of Physical Capabilities
This paper introduces PB-FACT (Performance-Based Functional Assessment for Computer Technology), a methodology for objectively measuring the physical capabilities of individuals with motor impairments to inform assistive technology selection. Traditi…
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Assessing Fit of Nontraditional Assistive Technologies
This paper addresses a critical gap in assistive technology: how to systematically match users who have severe motor disabilities with nontraditional assistive technologies (NTATs) that use physiological signals rather than physical movement for comp…
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Orienting Kinesthetically: A Haptic Handheld Wayfinder for People with Visual Impairments
This paper presents a novel haptic direction indicator that provides real-time navigational guidance through kinesthetic cues rather than audio or vibrotactile feedback. The device exploits a perceptual phenomenon called the "pseudo-attraction force …
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ITHACA: An Open Source Framework for Building Component-Based Augmentative and Alternative Communication Applications
This paper introduces ITHACA, an open source software framework for developing modular, customizable AAC applications. The authors address a persistent problem in assistive technology: AAC products are typically expensive, monolithic, difficult to cu…
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Accurate and Accessible Motion-Capture Glove Calibration for Sign Language Data Collection
This paper addresses a critical bottleneck in sign language technology research: the calibration of motion-capture gloves used to record hand movements for ASL animation and recognition systems. Motion-capture data enables the development of sign lan…
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Ability-Based Design: Concept, Principles and Examples
This foundational paper introduces ability-based design as a paradigm shift in accessible computing—moving focus from what users cannot do (disability) to what they can do (ability). The authors argue that traditional approaches like assistive techno…
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Stroke Therapy through Motion-Based Games: A Case Study
This case study explores the long-term home use of motion-based video games for stroke rehabilitation—an area where prior research focused mainly on clinical settings or short-term evaluations. The participant was a 62-year-old woman with hemiparesis…