Design of Cognitively Accessible Activity Planning and SelfManagement Software: Picture Planner Icon

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Design of Cognitively Accessible Activity
Planning and Self-Management SoftwarePicture
Planner? Icon-Based Personal Organizer

• Tom Keating, Ph.D.
• Cognitopia Software
• ATIA 2009
• Orlando

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Development Goals

• 1. Understanding elements of interface design
  that enhance cognitive accessibility.
• 2. Research on implementation and impact of
  information technology use
• 3. Design of innovative life skills software
  applications to enable persons with cognitive
  disabilities to manage various aspects of daily
  life.
• 4. Design for two end user groups individuals
  with cognitive disabilities and
  caregivers/assistants.

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Designing for Cognitive Accessibility

• All single click operation
• Clean interface with limited controls
• Tri-modal icons graphic, text, TTS
• Customizable icons photos, symbols
• Hub and spokes navigation vs. webbed
• Management of graphic transitions
• Metacognitive design approach
• Social connectability potential
• Intelligent features

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Multi-User Login
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Week View
Gradient shaded rows
Familiar media type controls
Limited set of tri-modal tool buttons
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Activity Builder
Meta- cognitive steps
4 viewable details unlimited additions 8
printable
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Activity Builder
Filter by life area
Enter new items on the fly with onscreen keyboard
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Activity Builder
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Day View
list view by duration (5 minute minimum)
one row of key info (expandable)
home button
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When details
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Persistent Pop-Up Reminders
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Month View
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Print Dialog
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Admin Tools
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Group Scheduling
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User Settings

• spoken name
• security code
• TTS
• icon sharing
• kiosk mode
• reminder dismiss
• group identity

pick background colors
add/change user photo
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Change Icons
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Edit Icon Details
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Backup and Exporting Utility
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Demonstrations

• Picture Planner desktop version
• (XP and Mac OS X)
• Windows Mobile 5 PDA version

PP
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Implementation Research

• Students aged 16-21 with mild to moderate
  intellectual disabilities
• such as mental retardation, autism, traumatic
  brain injury,
• cerebral palsy (N 28)
• Two secondary school community
  transition/apartment living skills programs
• - One large urban school district
• - One mid-size district
• 5 point rating of level of prompting needed
  for user actions required to schedule a complex
  activity

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Findings

• Surprising levels of independent skill 54
  independence with 8 weeks of 1/2 hour
  instruction.(verbal reminders only for activity
  details Range 29-82)
• Independence is great but not the Holy Grail
• Software design should address staff support
• factors (e.g. level of skill, assisted use,
  usability)
• Accessible software applications can be
• important tools for development of self-
• management and self-determination
• (choices control)

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Findings

• The gap between available technology and its
  implementation is significant and formidable.
• There are implementation challenges with even the
  seemingly simplest of technologies e.g.
  awareness, staff training, community settings,
  technical support.
• Time and schedule management are central to life
  skills because theyre key to intensity of
  supports, vocational success, and level of
  independence in adult settings.

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Further Application Development

• Clothing selection Facilitation of clothing
  selection based on current weather, forecast, and
  social context of activity.
• Automatic transition time calculation
  Estimation of time needed between scheduled
  activities based on location, history, or
  external input.
• Intuitive choice prediction Elimination of
  selection options based on the what, where, and
  who details of the activity
• Travel planning Integration of a Point A to
  Point B mass transit schedule and trip advisor
  data.
• Data reporting and sharing Shared calendar
  information and social networking features
  progress and summary activity.
• Context aware reminding Smart activity and task
  prompting based on user location.

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Context Aware Prompting
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Next Steps

• Web/network-based delivery and technical support
• Smart phone integration
• Integration with residential support technologies
  for self-management and caregiver assistance

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Further Information

• Contact me at tkeating_at_cognitopia.com
• Learn more or demo at www.cognitopia.com
• Come by Booth 1502

Acknowledgements Development of Picture
Planner? was supported in partby funding through
the US Department of Education National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research and Office of Special Education Programs