Literature Reviews

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

• A Storytelling Robot for Pediatric Rehabilitation

  Catherine Plaisant, Allison Druin, Corinna Lathan, Kapil Dakhane, Kris Edwards, Jack Maxwell Vice, Jaime Montemayor (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory and AnthroTronix describes PETS (Personal Electronic Teller of Stories), a storytelling robot designed for pediatric rehabilitation. Children control a large furry rob…

  • assistive robotics
  • pediatric rehabilitation
  • therapeutic play
  • participatory design
  • cerebral palsy
  • developmental disabilities
  • children
  • cooperative inquiry

• An Intelligent Tutoring System for Deaf Learners of Written English

  Lisa N. Michaud, Kathleen F. McCoy, Christopher A. Pennington (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Delaware describes ICICLE (Interactive Communication and Correction of Language Errors), an intelligent tutoring system designed to improve written English literacy among deaf students who are native or near-native s…

  • deaf literacy
  • intelligent tutoring system
  • American Sign Language
  • English literacy
  • second language acquisition
  • educational technology
  • deaf and hard of hearing
  • natural language processing

• Human Factors Issues in the Neural Signals Direct Brain-Computer Interface

  Melody M. Moore, Philip R. Kennedy (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents the software and human factors aspects of the Neural Signals direct brain-computer interface project — one of the first implanted BCI systems tested in humans. Unlike non-invasive BCIs that read EEG signals through the scalp, this…

  • brain-computer interface
  • locked-in syndrome
  • neural prosthetics
  • assistive technology
  • human-computer interaction
  • motor cortex
  • neuroplasticity
  • alternative input

• Programming by Voice, VocalProgramming

  Stephen C. Arnold, Leo Mark, John Goldthwaite (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents VocalProgrammer, a system designed to enable programming entirely by voice, motivated primarily by the high incidence of repetitive stress injuries (RSI) among programmers. The authors note that the total cost of RSI of all types …

  • voice programming
  • speech recognition
  • repetitive stress injury
  • code accessibility
  • assistive technology
  • programming education
  • alternative input

• A Semantic Transcoding System to Adapt Web Services for Users with Disabilities

  Anita W. Huang, Neel Sundaresan (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from IBM Almaden Research Center presents Aurora, a semantic transcoding system that adapts web-based services for users with disabilities by extracting the meaning of web content rather than simply reformatting its syntax. The key problem…

  • web accessibility
  • web transcoding
  • content adaptation
  • XML
  • semantic web
  • assistive technology
  • web navigation
  • adaptive interface

• A Study of Blind Drawing Practice: Creating Graphical Information Without the Visual Channel

  Hesham M. Kamel, James A. Landay (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from UC Berkeley investigates how blind users create drawings and proposes a grid-based model for non-visual drawing tools. The researchers began by observing that existing drawing tools for blind users fail because they lack adequate cont…

  • tactile graphics
  • blindness and low vision
  • non-visual interaction
  • drawing tools
  • accessible graphics
  • user research
  • graphical accessibility

• New Technology Enables Many-Fold Reduction in the Cost of Refreshable Braille Displays

  John Roberts, Oliver Slattery, David Kardos, Brett Swope (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) describes a novel rotating-wheel design for refreshable Braille displays that could reduce costs by up to a factor of ten compared to existing displays. The dominant cost facto…

  • braille
  • refreshable braille display
  • assistive technology
  • hardware
  • tactile accessibility
  • braille technology
  • digital inclusion

• Fast Web by Using Updated Content Extraction and a Bookmark Facility

  Tsuyoshi Ebina, Seiji Igi, Teruhisa Miyake (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from Japan's Communications Research Laboratory presents two techniques for improving speech-based web navigation for visually impaired users. The core problem is that accessing web pages through speech output is significantly slower than …

  • web accessibility
  • visual impairment
  • web navigation
  • screen reader
  • speech-based navigation
  • content extraction
  • assistive technology

• Investigating the Applicability of User Models for Motion-Impaired Users

  Simeon Keates, John Clarkson, Peter Robinson (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper from the University of Cambridge investigates whether the Model Human Processor (MHP) — a foundational user model from Card, Moran, and Newell's "The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction" — accurately describes how motion-impaired user…

  • motor impairment
  • user modeling
  • universal access
  • human-computer interaction
  • cerebral palsy
  • input devices
  • usability testing
  • inclusive design

• A Java Programming Tool for Students with Visual Disabilities

  Ann C. Smith, Joan M. Francioni, Sam D. Matzek (2000) — Proceedings of the Fourth International ACM Conference on Assistive Technologies (Assets '00)

  This paper presents JavaSpeak, a specialized programming environment designed to make learning Java accessible to students with visual disabilities. The authors, computer science educators at Saint Mary's University and Winona State University, ident…

  • programming education
  • visual impairment
  • screen reader
  • code accessibility
  • auditory interface
  • assistive technology
  • STEM accessibility