Literature Reviews

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

• A Novel Multi-Stage Approach to the Detection of Visuo-Spatial Neglect Based on the Analysis of Figure-Copying Tasks

  R. M. Guest, M. C. Fairhurst (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper presents a computer-based technique for improving the detection of visuo-spatial neglect (VSN), a dysfunction typically caused by stroke that causes patients to fail to respond to stimuli on the opposite side of the visual field from the b…

  • stroke recovery
  • neurological conditions
  • clinical tools
  • assessment
  • automated testing
  • rehabilitation
  • visuo-spatial neglect
  • occupational therapy
  • computer vision

• Assistive Social Interaction for Non-Speaking People Living in the Community

  Nick Hine, John L. Arnott (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper addresses the social isolation experienced by non-speaking people living independently in the community, a problem intensified by the shift from institutional to community-based care in the UK. The authors argue that while community care a…

  • AAC
  • social isolation
  • community care
  • videoconferencing
  • multimedia
  • storytelling
  • social interaction
  • remote communication
  • independent living
  • speech impairment

• A Predictive Blissymbolic to English Translation System

  Annalu Waller, Kris Jack (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper addresses a fundamental limitation of Blissymbolics in electronic AAC: while Blissymbol users can compose messages by selecting symbols, converting those symbol sequences into grammatically correct English is non-trivial. Blissymbolics is …

  • AAC
  • Blissymbolics
  • natural language processing
  • symbol communication
  • predictive text
  • communication rate
  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • translation
  • language generation

• Multimodal Virtual Reality Versus Printed Medium in Visualization for Blind People

  Wai Yu, Stephen Brewster (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper presents a comparative evaluation of two approaches for making bar chart data accessible to blind and visually impaired people: traditional raised tactile diagrams and a multimodal virtual reality system. The VR system combines a SensAble …

  • data visualization
  • blindness and low vision
  • haptic technology
  • virtual reality
  • tactile graphics
  • multimodal interaction
  • sonification
  • force feedback
  • non-visual interaction

• Using Handhelds to Help People with Motor Impairments

  Brad A. Myers, Jacob O. Wobbrock, Sunny Yang, Brian Yeung, Jeffrey Nichols, Robert Miller (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper presents the Pebbles project from Carnegie Mellon University, which developed software allowing handheld computers (Palm PDAs) to substitute for a PC's mouse and keyboard for people with muscular dystrophy and similar neuromuscular disorde…

  • motor disability
  • muscular dystrophy
  • alternative input
  • assistive technology
  • handheld devices
  • text entry
  • on-screen keyboard
  • word prediction
  • case study
  • fine motor control

• Designing for Dynamic Diversity: Interfaces for Older People

  Peter Gregor, Alan F. Newell, Mary Zajicek (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '02)

  This paper argues that mainstream interface design fails older people by assuming a static, "typical" user who is young, fit, and male. The authors identify three broad groups of older computer users: fit older people who do not consider themselves d…

  • aging
  • inclusive design
  • user-centered design
  • universal design
  • older adults
  • visual impairment
  • cognitive accessibility
  • web accessibility
  • design methodology
  • usability

• Older Adults' Evaluations of Speech Output

  Lorna Lines, Kate S. Hone (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper investigates older adults' subjective evaluations of different speech output voices in the context of an Intelligent Home System (IHS) designed to help older people live independently. Given that 66% of people with visual impairments in th…

  • speech output
  • older adults
  • aging
  • smart home
  • visual impairment
  • text-to-speech
  • voice preference
  • assistive technology

• ICU-Talk, A Communication Aid for Intubated Intensive Care Patients

  F. MacAulay, A. Judson, M. Etchels, S. Ashraf, I. W. Ricketts, A. Waller, J. K. Brodie, N. Alm, A. Warden, A. J. Shearer, B. Gordon (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper describes ICU-Talk, a computer-based communication aid developed specifically for intubated patients in hospital intensive care units (ICUs) who are temporarily unable to speak due to breathing tubes inserted through their mouth or throat.…

  • augmentative and alternative communication
  • AAC
  • intensive care
  • intubation
  • hospital communication
  • touch screen
  • switch access
  • patient communication

• Improving the Accessibility of Aurally Rendered HTML Tables

  Robert Filepp, James Challenger, Daniela Rosu (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper from IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center proposes TTPML (Table To Prose Markup Language), an XML-compliant markup language designed to transform HTML tables into intelligible prose descriptions for blind and visually impaired users. The auth…

  • web accessibility
  • tables
  • aural rendering
  • screen reader
  • XML
  • markup language
  • blindness
  • table linearization

• Virtual Environments for Social Skills Training: The Importance of Scaffolding in Practice

  Steven J. Kerr, Helen R. Neale, Sue V. G. Cobb (2002) — Proceedings of the Fifth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets 02)

  This paper describes the design and initial testing of two single-user virtual environment (VE) scenarios developed as part of the AS Interactive project, a multidisciplinary effort involving VR developers, psychologists, human factors researchers, a…

  • autism
  • virtual environment
  • social skills
  • scaffolding
  • education
  • Asperger syndrome
  • constructivism
  • virtual reality