Wireless Inclusive RERC| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA - Policy and Outreach Initiatives (DS1)

2021 Nationwide WEA Test Survey Results

Mz22 — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 17:04:40 +0000

Date of Publication:

2022 September

This paper aims to examine Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) effectiveness in eliciting protective action responses from people with disabilities. We examine varying mechanisms including WEA signal notification type and demographic characteristics.

2021_nationwide_wea_test_survey_results.pdf

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – Final Issue 2021

Mz22 — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 12:20:38 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 October

In September, the FCC celebrated Lifeline Awareness Week from the 20^th through the 24^th to bring attention to the Lifeline program and increase enrollment of eligible households. While in August, the Senate passed a $550 billion bill entitled the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In the Act, there are specific federal provisions related to broadband. This newsletter highlights the six major provisions that the bill outlines to improve broadband and wireless connectivity in the United States. Of note, many of the provisions aim to decrease the digital divide and offer substantial funding to achieve these goals. In efforts to decrease disparities in emergency response, the House of Representatives saw the introduction of the Information Sharing and Advanced Communication Alerting Act (ISAAC) [H.R. 5208]. This legislation seeks to establish a requirement for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC)’s Technological Advisory Council to produce a report on the feasibility of establishing a 9-1-1 disability alerting system (DAS). H.R. 5208 directs the FCC to explore a process that permits users to create, within DAS, a profile associated with an individual with a disability containing pertinent information such as whether the individual is nonverbal, can be combative under stress or anxiety, or is a wandering risk.

In other regulatory news, the FCC released statements about two new programs related to digital equity. To address affordable communications, in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [CG Docket No. 12-375], the FCC is extending its request for public input on the functionally equivalent access and affordability of telecommunications for incarcerated persons with disabilities. This month also marks the release of the FCC’s broadband map, which demonstrates connectivity and broadband access by the four major wireless carriers across the country.

In Wireless RERC news, the Proceedings of the Wireless RERC 2021 State of Technology Forum is now available online. The Forum Proceedings is an interactive document with papers, presentations, videos, and bios from the two-day event. Further, it opens with a summation of the event and closes with a chapter on key activities to pursue to ensure inclusion is always at the forefront of wireless technology, design, development, and deployment.

Funded by Wireless RERC, the Smart Home Helper (SHH) app, developed by The IDEAL Group, was released on the Google Play Store. SHH is a free Android app that enables individuals who are nonverbal and individuals with speech disabilities such as stuttering, apraxia, and dysarthria to issue verbal commands to voice-activated smart home devices using Android’s Text-to-Speech engine. SHH enables users to issue smart home commands in any one of 63 languages/dialects. Smart home voice commands can easily be created, organized, and shared with other app users.

Other items of interest include a study examining the communities served by the BeltLine and whether it can be used as an emergency management asset. (Take the Atlanta BeltLine Survey)

This issue also includes news about the latest Android accessibility updates, assistive technology, Spectrum Innovation Zone, AI, Accessible Kiosks, Evinced, MakerSpace, Voice Commands, and more.

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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – July 2021

Mz22 — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 15:57:44 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 August

July marked the 31^st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As large gatherings are still approached with great trepidation, many advocates and members of the disability community celebrated virtually. President Biden, a co-sponsor of landmark legislation, released a Proclamation affirming the rights and protections of people with disabilities. Including equitable access to opportunities to increase economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and social inclusion. The National Council on Disability stated in a press release, “As a community, we are far better off today because of those civil rights protections than we were 31 years ago. We do, however, have a considerable amount of work to do to fully realize that promise.”

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released statements about two new programs related to digital equity. The Emergency Connectivity Fund Program provides schools and libraries with grant funding to ensure students and economically vulnerable populations remain connected with digital devices. The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program has provided over four million households with discount vouchers to make internet connectivity affordable. Also, in an effort to addressed affordable communications, in a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [CG Docket No. 12-375], the FCC is requesting public input on the functionally equivalent access and affordability of telecommunications for incarcerated persons with disabilities.

In Wireless RERC news, we submitted comments related to two matters: NTIA Draft Internet Use Survey and a Review of the CVAA. Both are summarized on pages 7-9 in the newsletter. We are also collecting data on several surveys. The wireless RERC’s first responder network project wants your input. We want to understand the experiences of people with disabilities when they interact with first responders (Take the Survey). We are also interested in first responders' interactions with people with disabilities (Take the First Responder Survey). Finally, Wireless RERC researcher, LaForce, wants to understand which communities are being served by the Atlanta BeltLine and how the BeltLine can be used as a pedestrian evacuation route preceding or in the wake of a disaster event (Take the Atlanta BeltLine Survey).

This issue also includes news about the nationwide test of WEA, adapted toys, AAC, eye-tracking tech, accessibility awareness, accessiBe, disability representation, and more.

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Wireless RERC on the Record: NTIA Survey Comments Encourage Accessibility of Survey Dissemination Processes

dbright7@gatech.edu — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 12:38:39 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 July

July 26, 2021 – The Wireless RERC submitted comments to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding their request for input on the draft Internet Use Survey. A 67-question survey that they anticipate adding to the November 2021 edition of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS). A focus of our comments was ensuring that interviewers conducting personal visits are properly equipped to communicate with people who have disabilities. Suggesting that the interviewers be prepared to offer accommodations. As it pertains to the accuracy of the NTIA’s estimated time, cost burden, and methodology for disseminating the survey, Wireless RERC comments indicated some concerns related to the distribution methodology. Specifically, the RERC asserted that NTIA and the Census Bureau provide an online option to complete the survey designed to work with screen reader technology for respondents who are blind or have low vision. As a counter to extensive in-person interviewing teams, the Wireless RERC proposed a “mail-in” and online option so that people with and without disabilities can engage with this survey without unnecessary exposure to others.

Regarding the quality and quantity of survey questions, the RERC shared that the survey tool should be designed to facilitate nuanced analyses along sociodemographic dimensions that include disability. To that end, the Wireless RERC also recommended that NTIA add questions that would facilitate increased understanding of the various types of technology people with disabilities use to access the Internet and its content—asserting that the resultant data could facilitate the development of broadband affordability and utilization strategies. The comments urged NTIA to ensure that survey questions be clear, concise, and provided in accessible formats and with appropriate disability access accommodations (e.g., ASL, captions). The comments concluded by noting how the suggested revisions will advance the quality content of the survey questions and aid researchers in producing improved filing recommendations. We underscored the importance of considering the accessibility and usability of internet services and the consequential inclusion of people with disabilities in the broader design of data collection that informs public policy. We contend that any national survey tool designed to gather data on the state of technology use in the USA should include questions regarding disability and accessibility. Gathering such data will allow for identifying barriers to internet use and technology adoption by people with disabilities, assisting organizations, manufacturers, developers, and policymakers in devising the appropriate strategies to create a more accessible and usable broadband environment.

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ntia_internet_use_survey_comments_of_the_wireless_rerc_final.pdf

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – June 2021

Mz22 — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 18:09:16 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 July

In June, President Biden signed an Executive Order on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce [EO 13985]. Among the directives of EO 13985 is to “develop and issue a Government-wide Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan (Government-wide DEIA Plan).” The hope is that this strategic plan will harmonize inclusive and accessibility efforts across government sectors.

In regulatory news, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks comments on reducing and removing barriers to voting access for people with disabilities. They provided twenty scopes of interests that stakeholders are open to respond to. Due July 16, 2021, public comments will inform NIST’s end-of-year report that provides recommendations on overcoming these barriers. Other upcoming comment deadlines include NTIA’s request for comments on updates to the annual internet use survey, due on or before July 26, 2021; and the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) request for stakeholder input on the compensation plan for video relay service, reply comments due by July 15, 2021. Also of interest, the FCC announced that in coordination with FEMA, it will conduct a nationwide test of the emergency alert system (EAS) and wireless emergency alert (WEA) system. They invite stakeholders who are observing this test in their communities to provide feedback.

In Wireless RERC news, our InsightOut Video is now available on YouTube. Debuted at the Wireless RERC’s State of Technology Forum, this video shows Wireless RERC researchers sharing their observations and perspectives regarding remaining challenges to and advances in accessible and assistive wireless technologies towards the goals of inclusion and innovation.

This issue also includes news about smart homes, assistive technology, rural broadband connectivity, accessible virtual museum, voting access, VoiceITT, inclusive design, webinars, conferences, conventions, and more.

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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – May 2021

Mz22 — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:19:20 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 June

Throughout May, the world celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The U.S. Access Board published a press release commemorating the progress of accessibility in the country. They acknowledged their accessibility and inclusion programming over the last few months leading up to GAAD. Individuals or companies looking to improve their accessibility practices can take one of GAAD’s virtual training sessions and learn more about digital accessibility guidelines and standards. Across social media, the hashtags #GAAD2021 and #GAAD circulated, and a host of entities held events, speakers, and tech companies released a plethora of digital devices that center on accessibility. For instance, Google announced the computer mouse panning feature that makes screen content more visible and more accessible to engage with for people with visual disabilities.

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) released a Public Notice extending the deadline for stakeholders to submit commentary on whether rules implementing the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA) need updating. Essentially, the Commission is open to hearing about new advanced communications accessibility priorities that have come about as a result of technological change and existing CVAA proceedings that need more rapid progression and resolution.

In Wireless RERC news, we submitted reply comments to the FCC in response to their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Notice of Inquiry in The Matter of Amendment of Part II of the Commission’s Rules Regarding the Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts [PS Docket No. 15-94; 15-91]. In our reply comments, we indicated support for expanding the Presidential alert class to allow activation by FEMA. Regarding WEA accessibility, among other things, we recommended that the FCC bring academic research findings to bear on federal policy and regulations concerning the accessibility of the content of emergency messages, specifically as it relates to the use of plain language instead of jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms that diminish accessibility.

This issue also includes news about AskSARA AT Tool, Social Media, Remote Wireless Charging, Brain-to-Text, Eye-gaze Technology, Earswitch, Robotics, and more.

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Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – Spring 2021

Mz22 — Fri, 14 May 2021 14:07:54 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 May

During March, disability advocates and members of the community celebrated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) coordinated with state and local municipal governments to raise awareness for better inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of human life. Each year a resource guide is curated and includes videos, toolkits, photos, personal stories, promising practices, and more.

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) moved forward proceedings concerning (1) whether updates are needed to FCC rules implementing the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), (2) emergency communications, and (3) telehealth. The FCC adopted a Report and Order to provide objective evaluation metrics for healthcare providers’ applications for funding. Regarding emergency communications, the FCC published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and Notice of Inquiry (NOI) [PS Docket Nos. 15-91 and 15-94], concerning, among other things allowing federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, authority to initiate presidential alerts under a new “national” emergency alert class (NPRM) and whether it is technically feasible to deliver EAS alerts through the internet, including through streaming services (NOI).

In Wireless RERC news, we convened our State of Technology Forum, examining the evolving nature and capacities of wireless technologies and identifying opportunities to meet a range of community needs for access, equity, and inclusion. The program comprised a series of discussion-based sessions focused on the role of research, development, and stakeholder engagement in advancing the full social inclusion of people with disabilities. The discussions were punctuated by Rapid Fire Research Demos, Lightning Development Demos, and selected paper presentations. R&D Showcase Videos included: Augmented Reality as a Design Tool, Socially Assistive Robot for Respite Care, Inclusive Emergency Lifelines, Wearable Technology Designer’s Web Tool, and the Tactile Graphics Helper.

This issue also includes news about the internet of things, socialbots, assistive technology, brain-computer interfaces, autonomous vehicles, robotic pets, and more.

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CACP Researchers Co-Authors on Article published in IEEE Magazine IT Professional

dbright7@gatech.edu — Thu, 06 May 2021 17:45:04 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 March

Researchers on the WirelessRERC team published an article on the progress of technology on learning transfer. The abstract of the text: The COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications on socially vulnerable populations, especially minoritized populations. This article examines how technology-mediated learning can both operate as a tool to rectify inequities and a weapon that antagonizes existing divides for socially disadvantaged minoritized Black students. In analyzing this subsection of the population, we discuss technology-mediated learning during the pandemic and access problems that arise due to socially disadvantaged students' systematic inequalities. This article finds that technology is an essential tool that can be a solution to help rectify inequalities during crisis, coupled with models of success and future research.

Article

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – February 2021

Mz22 — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 19:09:32 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 March

In February, the annual African American Conference on Disabilities (AACD) was virtual, free, and lasted throughout February. Britney Wilson, a graduate of Howard University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Black woman born with Cerebral Palsy, gave the opening speech. She discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic illustrates why disability, and especially at the intersection of race and disability, has always been and always will be a social justice issue that deserves more public attention. The hashtag #BlackDisabledHistoryMonth trended on Twitter as advocates and civil rights organizations, such as the NAACP, celebrated the amazing work that Black Americans with disabilities have contributed to American culture and society. The hashtag produced stories of many famous Black Americans with invisible disabilities and visible disabilities alike. To highlight a few of the mentioned individuals, Halle Berry, an actress with 80% hearing loss in one ear; Harry Belafonte, actor, and civil rights activist, has dyslexia; and Amanda Gorman, the young poet laureate who spoke at Biden’s inauguration, has an audio processing disorder. These few stories highlight the need to continue to honor, acknowledge, and bring awareness to the amazing contributions that Black Americans with disabilities have added to society.

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved several regulations aimed at connectivity and equipment access expansion. These included a subsidy for low-income households for broadband services and digital devices via the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, the renewal of the National Deaf-Blind equipment distribution program, and increased 2.5 GHz band licenses for rural Tribal communities. This month, the FCC also acknowledged the 25^th Anniversary of the Telecom Act with a commemorative video, press release statement, and Twitter chat that can be viewed with the hashtag #TelecomActChat.

The Wireless RERC is currently seeking research participants with sensory disabilities from the Metro Atlanta area to participate in a study investigating the accessibility of emergency alerting signals. Also, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology seek people with disabilities and people without disabilities who work in nontraditional jobs to help improve the reliability of a new survey: The Contingent Employment Participation Survey (CEPS). If you are interested in participating in either of these studies, please email salimah@cacp.gatech.edu.

This issue also includes news about accessible COVID-19 testing, home automation, hands-free interfaces, artificial intelligence, mental health, language development, and more.

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State of Technology Forum 2021

Mz22 — Mon, 08 Mar 2021 19:43:32 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 March

Flipbook SOT Forum Program

Select Proceedings Paper Working Drafts

The Impact of Wireless Technologies on the Social and Vocational Outcomes of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Claire Donehower Paul, Erin Vinoski Thomas, Chelsea Marelle, Eliseo Jimenez

Inclusivity, Usability, and the Application of Personas for Technology Policy Design

Sarah Farmer, Paul M.A. Baker, & Jeremy Solomon

Theatre and Robots - Envisioning Interdisciplinary Collaborations Beyond the Stage

Julienne A. Greer, John Bricout, Ling Xu, Noelle L. Fields, Priscila M. Tamplain, Gajendran Palaniyandi, Bonita Sharma, & Kristen L. Doelling

Next Generation Wireless Device Adoption and Use among Individuals with Disabilities: Findings from a National Survey of User Needs, 2019-2020

Nathan W. Moon, Patricia C. Griffiths, Salimah LaForce, Paul M.A. Baker

SWAN 2.0: Research and Development on a New System for Wearable Audio Navigation

Bruce N. Walker & Jeff Wilson

R&D Showcase Videos

Augmented Reality as a Design Tool

The project is exploring the use of Augmented Reality and Tangible Augmented Reality for assessing the usability of products and services. The goal is to understand barriers and factors that impact their accuracy so that designers can confidently use them to reduce the time and cost of improving wireless product designs.

Team: Young Mi Choi, Ted Kim, Karan Jain, Akash Talyan, Santiago Arconada

Socially Assistive Robot for Respite Care

Our project is a proof-of-concept study that explores the feasibility of robot respite for older adults who are caregivers of adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It was developed to address the strain of caregiving for older adults, by leveraging the capacity of a humanoid social robot (‘Pepper’) to engage their adult child with IDD in an interactive, relational capabilities-building learning scenario.

Team: John Bricout, Julienne Greer, Noelle Fields, Priscila Tamplain, Kristen Doelling, Bonita Sharma, Gajendran Palaniyandi

Inclusive Emergency Lifelines

The Emergency Inclusive Lifelines Project developed wireless communication protocols and interfaces for adopted and emerging wireless technologies used in all stages of emergencies (before, during, and after emergencies). Specific projects characterized the most accessible emergency notification signaling for emergency alerts for people with sensory disabilities. Further, we have developed interactive tools to compare WEA comprehension on multiple platforms.

Team: Maureen Linden, Colin Ahn, Kay Chiodo, Dan Heller, Anushri Kumar, Salimah LaForce, Pete Presti, Glenn Shell, Ben Thompson

Wearable Technology Designer’s Web Tool

The Wearable Technology Designer’s Web Tool is for designers to use at the beginning of the design process. The tool presents a series of questions, as the designer provides answers about their project, the tool compiles a set of design and accessibility considerations along with a heat map of where on the body their wearable device might be located. The tool also alerts the designer if the choices they are selecting will impact any users with disabilities.

Team: Maribeth Gandy Coleman, Clint Zeagler, Scott Robertson, Rishabh Ghora, Rohan Bawa

Tactile Graphics Helper

The Tactile Graphics Helper (TGH) project is a smartphone/tablet app that uses the device’s camera to track a student's fingers as he/she explores a tactile graphic and allows the student to gain clarifying audio information about the tactile graphic without sighted assistance.

Team: Val Morash, Giovanni Fusco, James M. Coughlan

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