Download or read book Understanding and Improving Blind Students Access to Visual Information in Computer Science Education written by Catherine M. Baker and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaching people with disabilities tech skills empowers them to create solutions to problems they encounter and prepares them for careers. However, computer science is typically taught in a highly visual manner which can present barriers for people who are blind. The goal of this dissertation is to understand and decrease those barriers. The first projects I present looked at the barriers that blind students face. I first present the results of my survey and interviews with blind students with degrees in computer science or related fields. This work highlighted the many barriers that these blind students faced. I then followed-up on one of the barriers mentioned, access to technology, by doing a preliminary accessibility evaluation of six popular integrated development environments (IDEs) and code editors. I found that half were unusable and all had some inaccessible portions. As access to visual information is a barrier in computer science education, I present three projects I have done to decrease this barrier. The first project is Tactile Graphics with a Voice (TGV). This project investigated an alternative to Braille labels for those who do not know Braille and showed that TGV was a potential alternative. The next project was StructJumper, which created a modified abstract syntax tree that blind programmers could use to navigate through code with their screen reader. The evaluation showed that users could navigate more quickly and easily determine the relationships of lines of code when they were using StructJumper compared to when they were not. Finally, I present a tool for dynamic graphs (the type with nodes and edges) which had two different modes for handling focus changes when moving between graphs. I found that the modes support different approaches for exploring the graphs and therefore preferences are mixed based on the user’s preferred approach. However, both modes had similar accuracy in completing the tasks. These projects are a first step towards the goal of making computer science education more accessible to blind students. By identifying the barriers that exist and creating solutions to overcome them, we can support increasing the number of blind students in computer science.
Download or read book Assistive Technology for Blindness and Low Vision written by Roberto Manduchi and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assistive technology has made it feasible for individuals with a wide range of impairments to engage in many activities, such as education and employment, in ways not previously possible. The key factor is to create consumer-driven technologies that solve the problems by addressing the needs of persons with visual impairments. Assistive Technology for Blindness and Low Vision explores a broad range of technologies that are improving the lives of these individuals. Presenting the current state of the art, this book emphasizes what can be learned from past successful products, as well as what exciting new solutions the future holds. Written by world-class leaders in their field, the chapters cover the physiological bases of vision loss and the fundamentals of orientation, mobility, and information access for blind and low vision individuals. They discuss technology for multiple applications (mobility, wayfinding, information access, education, work, entertainment), including both established technology and cutting-edge research. The book also examines computer and digital media access and the scientific basis for the theory and practice of sensory substitution. This volume provides a holistic view of the elements to consider when designing assistive technology for persons with visual impairment, keeping in mind the need for a user-driven approach to successfully design products that are easy to use, well priced, and fill a specific need. Written for a broad audience, this book provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth descriptions of current technology for designers, engineers, practitioners, rehabilitation professionals, and all readers interested in the challenges and promises of creating successful assistive technology.
Download or read book Assistive Technology for Students who are Blind Or Visually Impaired written by Ike Presley and published by American Foundation for the Blind. This book was released on 2008 with total page 549 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Assistive technology is essential in today's world to enable people who are blind or visually impaired to participate fully in school, work, and life. But which assistive technology tools are right for your students? This comprehensive handbook is the essential resource for teachers of students with visual impairments, administrators, technology professionals, and anyone who needs to keep up with the ever-changing world of technology. Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment contains a wealth of technical information translated into clear, user-friendly terms, including: - An overview of the full range of assistive technology that students can use to manage information in print or electronic formats-whether they use vision, touch or hearing to access information - How to select appropriate tools and strategies - A structured process for conducting a technology assessment - Detailed assessment forms that can be used to determine students' technology needs and solutions to address them - Advice on writing up program recommendations based on assessment results - Reproducible, blank assessment forms
Download or read book Healthcare Information Needs of the Visually Impaired Bridging the Visual Impairment Digital Disability Divide written by Fissha SeyoumTeshome and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2017-06-08 with total page 92 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master's Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Computer Science - Internet, New Technologies, grade: 4, , language: English, abstract: The focus of this research is to develop an understanding of how visually impaired people face a digital disability divide. The scope of this research is limited to people with visual impairments who may or may not have access to technology. The research shows how to bridge the divide while exploring relevant topics that lead to the conception of feasible solutions. Further, it will contribute to the development of more socially inclusive healthcare information systems. The research is supported by a thorough literature review of articles, journals, and research reports dealing with the major relevant topics. A qualitative research method was used to identify and obtain an in-depth understanding of the healthcare information accessibility (HCIA) barriers that visually impaired people face, and the factors involved in the creation of these barriers. Moreover, a quantitative method was used to collect primary data, and a number of different analysis methods were used to produce results. This led to findings that were generalized to the larger population of the visually impaired. The research shows that, despite the staggering advances in information and communication technology (ICT), the healthcare information needs of the visually impaired are not being met. However, it has also been discovered that the digital divide caused by visual impairment can be mitigated with intelligent design and the realization of information systems intended to fulfill the healthcare information needs of the visually impaired. A logical information system is needed that has a combination of input, back-end, and output assistive technologies with increased social inclusion and the capability to empower visually impaired people and help them access available healthcare information.
Download or read book Understanding Education for the Visually Impaired written by Ronél Ferreira and published by AOSIS. This book was released on 2020-12-31 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contribution that this book makes to scholarship is regarded as ground-breaking, as it is based on recent research conducted with teachers on the ground-level, as well as on research and experiences of practitioners, gained over many years. In this volume, Understanding education for the visually impaired, the focus falls on understanding visual impairment within the South African context, more specifically on what the education of these learners entails. In addition to the contribution to existing literature in the fields of inclusive education and visual impairment, the publication has practical application value for teachers and practitioners who work with and support such learners.
Download or read book Improving Vision Impaired Students Access to Graphics in Higher Education written by and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book People and Computers XX Engage written by Nick Bryan-Kinns and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2007-08-10 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reading has arguably the longest and richest history of any domain for scientifically considering the impact of technology on the user. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Miles Tinker [1963] and other researchers ran hundreds of user tests that examined the effects of different fonts and text layout variables, such as the amount of vertical space between each line of text (called leading). Their research focused on user performance, and reading speed was the favoured measure. They charted the effect of the manipulated variables on reading speed, looking for the point at which their participants could read the fastest. Their assumption was that faster reading speeds created a more optimal experience. Printers and publishers eagerly consumed this research. In recent years, some of these variables have been reexamined as the technology and capabilities evolve with the advent of computers and computer screens. Dillon [1992] examined how to design textual information for an electronic environment. Boyarski et al. [1998] examined the effect of fonts that were designed for computer screens. Dyson & Kipping [1998] examined the effect of line length on computer screens. Larson et al. [2000] examined the effect of 3-D rotation on reading. Gugerty et al. [2004] demonstrated a reading performance advantage with the Microsoft ClearType display technology.
Download or read book Making It Work written by Carol Castellano and published by IAP. This book was released on 2006-07-01 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Making It Work is destined to be the definitive guide for years to come on how to make the regular school education a successful experience for blind/visually impaired children. With chapters flowing logically and full of detailed, useful information, it will be an essential handbook for school staff, specialized service providers, and parents of blind/visually impaired children. This is an exquisite, enlightened guide for the education of blind/visually impaired children in the new millennium.” ~ Joe Cutter, Early Childhood O&M Specialist "With its scope, attention to detail, and skillful presentation of the larger issues involved in the education of students who are blind/visually impaired in regular school, Making It Work is a timely and most welcome resource for educational teams." ~ Missy Garber, Pennsylvania College of Optometry
Download or read book Universal Design in Higher Education written by Sheryl E. Burgstahler and published by Harvard Education Press. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Universal Design in Higher Education looks at the design of physical and technological environments at institutions of higher education; at issues pertaining to curriculum and instruction; and at the full array of student services. Universal Design in Higher Education is a comprehensive guide for researchers and practitioners on creating fully accessible college and university programs. It is founded upon, and contributes to, theories of universal design in education that have been gaining increasingly wide attention in recent years. As greater numbers of students with disabilities attend postsecondary educational institutions, administrators have expressed increased interest in making their programs accessible to all students. This book provides both theoretical and practical guidance for schools as they work to turn this admirable goal into a reality. It addresses a comprehensive range of topics on universal design for higher education institutions, thus making a crucial contribution to the growing body of literature on special education and universal design. This book will be of unique value to university and college administrators, and to special education researchers, practitioners, and activists.
Download or read book Access Technology for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility written by Yue-Ting Siu and published by APH Press. This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Access Technology for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility, the second edition of 2008's Assistive Technology for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment, uses clear language to describe the range of technology solutions that exists to facilitate low vision and nonvisual access to print and digital information. Part 1 gives teachers, professionals, and families an overview of current technologies including refreshable braille displays, screen readers, 3D printers, cloud computing, tactile media, and integrated development environments. Part 2 builds on this foundation, providing readers with a conceptual and practical framework to guide a comprehensive technology evaluation process. As did its predecessor, Access Technology for Blind and Low Vision Accessibility is focused on giving people who are blind or visually impaired equal access to all activities of self-determined living, allowing them to be seamlessly integrated within their home, school, and work communities"--
Download or read book Foundations of Education written by M. Cay Holbrook and published by American Printing House for the Blind. This book was released on 2017 with total page 982 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential textbook in the field of blindness and visual impairment has been updated for the 21st c. Volume II contains new material on planning, assessment, instruction, and supporting students with visual impairments in the general education classroom. Icons in the book direct readers to supplemental materials in an online Learning Center.
Download or read book Causes and Coping with Visual Impairment and Blindness written by Shimon Rumelt and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2018-09-19 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: About 4% of the world population has visual impairment or blindness. This book is aimed at addressing different causes of visual impairment and blindness, their epidemiology, manifestations, risk factors, prevention of progression, and treatment. It is aimed at encouraging physicians and researchers to increase efforts to prevent irreversible and treat reversible blindness for the betterment of the world. Therefore, it is essential to be fully aware and knowledgeable of the manifestations of the diseases causing blindness, and this book covers some of their different aspects. Each chapter was written by experts from around the globe. Thus, it reflects the importance of the subject.
Download or read book User Centered Software Development for the Blind and Visually Impaired Emerging Research and Opportunities written by Álvarez Robles, Teresita de Jesús and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2019-07-05 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Human-computer interaction studies the users and their interaction with an interactive software system (ISS). However, these studies are designed for people without any type of disability, causing there to be few existing techniques or tools that focus on the characteristics of a specific user, thus causing accessibility and utility issues for neglected segments of the population. This reference source intends to remedy this lack of research by supporting an ISS focused on people with visual impairment. User-Centered Software Development for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a collection of innovative research on techniques, applications, and methods for carrying out software projects in which the main users are people with visual impairments. While highlighting topics including mobile technology, assistive technologies, and human-computer interaction, this book is ideally designed for software developers, computer engineers, designers, academics, researchers, professionals, and educators interested in current research on usable and accessible technologies.
Download or read book Access Technology written by John Lodge and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents an introduction to the range of technology that can be used to assist in the education of students with visual impairments, with descriptions of the main features of approximately 45 systems. After an introductory chapter, Chapter 1 identifies four key uses for technology: in communication, in the production of materials, to provide access to information, and as a curriculum tool. Chapter 2 explains different computers and accessories including expansion cards, ink printers, scanners, CD-ROMs, special access systems, and overlay boards. Chapter 3 describes large display systems, including large text on screen, large print word processors, computer magnification systems, magnification system hardware, closed circuit television systems, and large print (paper). Chapter 4 reviews a variety of Braille systems such as electronic Braille displays, Braille note takers, mechanical Braille keyboards, and translation software for Braille. Chapter 5 evaluates speech systems, including screen readers, speech synthesizers, talking word processors, and different speech devices. A final section includes articles and information intended for specialists. Articles address materials production, selection of a laptop, the Internet, and sources of information and support in the United Kingdom. Includes a list of resources in the United Kingdom and a glossary. (CR)
Download or read book Universal Access and Assistive Technology written by Simeon Keates and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT) was held at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, in March 2002. It was inspired by the earlier, highly successful Cambridge Workshops on Rehabilitation Robotics organised by the late Robin Jackson. Robin was the founder of Rehabilitation Research at Cambridge which now continues in the Engineering Design Centre within the Department of Engineering, led by John Clarkson and Simeon Keates, and in the Rainbow Group within the Computer Laboratory led by Peter Robinson. CWUAAT represents the first in a new series of workshops that we are aiming to hold every two years which, reflecting the spirit of recent moves to extend the rights for universal accessibility, will encourage discussion of a broad range of interests. There will be a general focus on product/solution development. Hence it is intended that the principal requirements for the successful design of assistive technology shall be addressed, where these range from the identification and capture of the needs of the users, through to the development and evaluation of truly usable and accessible systems for users with special needs. The best submissions received for the first CWUAAT are contained in this book, where the contributors are all leading researchers in the fields of Universal Access and Assistive Technology and represent a large part of the international research community. They include, though not exclusively, computer scientists, designers, engineers, industrial representatives, ergonomists and sociologists.
Download or read book Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired and Blind People written by Marion Hersh and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-05-12 with total page 743 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Equal accessibility to public places and services is now required by law in many countries. For the vision-impaired, specialised technology often can provide a fuller enjoyment of the facilities of society, from large scale meetings and public entertainments to reading a book or making music. This volume explores the engineering and design principles and techniques used in assistive technology for blind and vision-impaired people. This book maintains the currency of knowledge for engineers and health workers who develop devices and services for people with sight loss, and is an excellent source of reference for students of assistive technology and rehabilitation.
Download or read book Enhancing Access to Complex and Spatial Information for Blind Users of Mobile Devices written by Yu Zhong and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 102 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For people with visual impairments, accessing visual information in mobile settings can be difficult and sometimes frustrating. They often need to depend on assistance from family or strangers, and thus limit their exposure to unfamiliar settings so they can avoid inaccessible information. While there are many mobile applications dedicated to providing improved access of visual information for visually impaired users, there is still a long way to go towards providing an ideal user experience. This thesis focuses on enhancing visual information retrieval and interpretation for blind people with two sets of technologies. The first is computer vision, which provides us numerous algorithms to process images and videos in order to efficiently extract visual information of blind users' surrounding environment, and sometimes fulfill their needs promptly or even in real time. The second is crowdsourcing, also known as human computation. Crowdsourcing has been shown to be an effective means to solve problems that automated approaches cannot yet handle. With carefully designed infrastructure, leveraging large groups of online workers can yield accurate and fast responses to blind users' various visual information requests. This dissertation surveyed existing algorithms and applications of both computer vision and crowdsourcing and identified challenges visually impaired users face from questions they submitted to our services, then carefully designed frameworks to fit components from both categories together into several assistive mobile applications for blind people.
