Enabling technology for users with special needs

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Enabling technology for users with special needs
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Motivation

• We all use computers
• for our jobs
• in daily life
• for fun
• But what if we were unable to use these important
  devices due to physical or cognitive impairment?

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Topics

• Introduction
• Motor impairment
• Visual disability
• Speech disability
• Hearing disability
• Cognitive disability
• Older adults
• Locked-in Brain user interfaces

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Access Versus Assistive

• Access to everyday equipment
• Assistive (prostheses) to alleviate the
  handicapping effect of a disability

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Legislation

• US Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 (73,86,98)
• US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), UK, 95
• A European Directive on disability discrimination
  is proposed

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What is a physical disability?
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Range of Physical Impairments

• Complete lack of function
• absence of a limb
• paralysis usually due to spinal injury, the
  higher the damage the greater the degree of
  paralysis
• tetraplegia/quadriplegia all four limbs
• paraplegia lower limbs only
• Lack of strength
• Tremor/lack of accuracy
• Slowness

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Keyboard Modifications

• Keyguards
• Alternative layouts
• Reduce movement
• One-handed keyboards, possible chords
• Membrane surfaces (minimize required pressure)

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Software Modifications

• Sticky keys
• Slow keys or disable auto-repeat
• Modify keyboard mappings
• On-screen keyboards

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Alternative Input Devices

• Speech input
• Dictation versus control
• Switches
• Keyboard has approx 50 switches
• Scanning interfaces

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Possible Switches

• Foot pedal
• Leaf switch highly sensitive
• Sip and puff
• Dual switch (can be used for Morse code)
• Joy stick
• Muscle switch
• Neural implant
• Eye gaze

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Scanning Interfaces
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Acceleration Techniques

• Control macros
• Word prediction
• Abbreviations

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Mouse alternatives

• Trackball
• Proportional joystick
• Switched joystick or cursor keys
• Head sensor
• Eye-gaze
• Keyboard only

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Visual Disability
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Incidence of visual disability

• The vast majority of visually disabled people
  have some sight

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Myopia and Hypermetropia

• Myopia Hypermetropia
• (short-sighted) (far-sighted)

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Macular degeneration
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Diabetic retinopathy
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Cataracts
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Tunnel vision
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Accommodating Partial Sight

• Large monitor, high resolution, glare protection
• Control of color and contrast
• Keyboard orientation aids
• Increase document font size

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Magnification not always a help
Now is the time,
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Hardware or Software Magnification

• 2 to 16 times
• Virtual screen
• Viewport, control
• Notification of outside events

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Accommodating Blind Users

• Screen Readers
• Full-featured
• Cursor-tracking, routing
• Dialogue focus
• View areas
• Auditory or tactile output

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Screen Reader Output

• Braille
• Only 10?
• Many Braille codes
• Real and virtual displays
• Tactile pads
• Synthesized speech

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Access to Graphical User Interfaces

• Capture and model graphical interface
• Translate graphical objects
• Support efficient and intuitive interaction

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Speech Disability
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Augmentative Communication

• A conversation is a dialogue in which the one
  taking a breath is called the listener
• Attaining 150 words per minute
• High-speed input for people with limited manual
  dexterity

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Generating Words
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Input Techniques

• Word boards
• Switch input
• Scanning techniques
• Predictive input

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Speech Synthesis

• Quality of synthetic speech
• Similarity to human speech

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Hearing Disability
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Sign Language

• Sign languages are true languages
• Syntax, semantics, pragmatics
• Differ dramatically from oral-based languages
• Many different sign languages
• American (ASL) close to French Sign Language but
  different than British (BSL)
• Signed English for one-to-one translation

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Minicoms and TDDs

• Universal telephone technology
• Text terminal (keyboard, LED display, modem)
• Deaf relay centers
• TypeTalk

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Most significant new communication device is

• The mobile phone
• with SMS

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IT Prosthesis

• Translators
• Speech to sign
• Sign to speech
• Gesture recognition
• Need sign language grammars
• Video phones
• Word processors (Write This Way)
• Speech training (Speech Viewer, IBM)

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Cognitive Impairment
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Impaired Mental Capabilities

• Memory
• Short or long term, recall and recognition
• Perception
• Attention, discriminating sensory input
• Problem Solving
• Recognizing the problem, implementing solutions
  and evaluation
• Concepts
• Generalizing, skill development

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Common Causes

• Learning disability
• Head injury or stroke
• Alzheimers
• Dementia

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IT Design Guidelines

• Input / Interface Control
• ex touchpad, prompts and menus
• Presentation Format
• ex blank space to focus attention
• Informational Content and Prompting
• ex match vocabulary level to user

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Learning Impairment

• Infinite patience
• Risk-free environment
• Accommodate cognitive impairment
• Motivate

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Elderly People
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Who are older people?

• People who have been alive for longer
• Thats about all they have in common

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Potential Declining Abilities

• Physical
• Sensory
• Cognition
• Cognitive ageing
• Retrospective memory
• IT no longer limited to the workplace

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Assistive Uses

• Sensory aids
• Memory aids
• Mobile emergency alerts
• Information access
• ThirdAge (www.thirdage.com)
• Social communication
• SeniorNet (www.seniornet.com)

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Direct Brain Interfaces
Melody Moore Computer Information Systems Dept.
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What is a Direct Brain-Computer Interface?
a system that captures signals directly from
the human brain, providing a channel to control
computers and other devices. The GSU
BrainLab Mission is to pioneer real-world
applications research for biometric technologies
to improve the quality of life for people with
severe disabilities, and to explore mainstream
applications.
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Brain Signal Detection Techniques
Invasive implanted electrodes (single neuron)
Noninvasive scalp electrodes (EEG)
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Neural Internet

• Neurally controlled Internet Access
• Specialized web browser and email program
• Uses
• communication
• shopping
• education
• handling of personal finances
• employment

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Restoring Motion - Neural Prosthetics

• Brain re-learns how to move limbs via an
  artificial
• nervous system
• Simulation
• Virtual reality hand
• Restoring Physical Motion
• Robotic arm

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The Aware Chair

• Integrated communication and environmental
  control
• Intelligent, neurally controlled wheelchair
• Conversation and environmental control
  prediction
• Learns users habits and context
• Provides emotional expression