Wireless Inclusive RERC| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA - Students

The Wireless Emergency Alerts Video Platform: Emergency Alerts in Many Formats Allow Access for All

Mz22 — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 19:33:42 +0000

Date of Publication:

2022 September

This research brief reports on developing a software app that demonstrates the technical feasibility of providing WEA messages in multiple formats, namely text-based messages, spoken messages, symbology, and ASL video with captions, to improve the accessibility of the messages for all receivers. The results of a usability study examining how people who are Deaf understand the emergency messages in multiple formats are also described.

research_brief-_the_wea_video_platform_002.docx

Survey of User Needs, SUNspot 1 Use of Mobile Phones by Individuals with Disabilities, 2019-2020

dbright7@gatech.edu — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:51:23 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 July

This research brief presents findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies’ (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2019-2020. We present key findings regarding mobile phone use and satisfaction by consumers with disabilities. A total of 219 respondents, or 98.3%, of users who responded indicated owning or using a wireless device such as a traditional cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or wearable device.

survey_of_user_needs_sunspot_1_use_of_mobile_phones_by_individuals_with_disabilities_2019-2020.docx

Survey of User Needs, SUNspot 2 Use of Wireless Technology Features and Wireless Device Activities by Individuals with Disabilities, 2019-2020

Mz22 — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 12:37:57 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 July

This report presents findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies’ (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2019-2020. In this report, we present key findings regarding the use of wireless technology features by SUN respondents, including real-time-text, intelligent assistants, and visual and audio display options. We also discuss the use of wireless devices by individuals with disabilities for a variety of activities. Whereas SUNspot 1 focused on the devices themselves, this report focuses primarily on the capabilities built into those devices and their relationship to users’ reported functional limitations and difficulties.

updated.sunspot2_2021-02_final_wireless_technology_features_used_by_individuals_with_disabilities_2020_1.pdf

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.

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_march-april_2021.docx

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_march-april_2021.pdf

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

sot_program_-_final.pdf

2021_virtual_sot_forum_agenda.pdf

14pt_font_2021_virtual_sot_forum_agenda.docx

greer_sot_theatre_robots_final_alt.pdf

walker_swan2-wirelessrerc-sot2021-proceedings-v16-withalttext.pdf

farmer_baker_solomon_inclusivity_usability_and_the_application_of_personas_for_technology_policy_design_004.pdf

donehower_rerc_proceedings_2.10.2021_004.pdf

updated_moon_et_al_sot_proceedings_paper.pdf

forum_program_-_accessible_pdf_version_-_large_font.pdf

forum_program_-_accessible_word_version_-_large_font.docx

2021_sot_program_-_final_word_version_standard.docx

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – January 2021

Mz22 — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 14:28:28 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 February

The Wireless RERC conducted our annual content review of the Technology and Disability Policy Highlights newsletter. The top five most cited words were accessibility, assistive, COVID, broadband, and public. This past year’s hot topics mostly centered around expanding access to broadband amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year we also celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Not long after, 2020 saw movement to codify inclusive access to virtual environments with an ADA amendment, the Online Accessibility Act [H.R. 8478], introduced to Congress on October 1^st. The Act aims to provide a “predictable regulatory environment” for online commerce to ensure equitable access for all customers. Though COVID-19 resulted in many companies and researchers redirecting their attention to creating contact-tracing and social distancing monitoring methods, and accessible smart masks to combat the pandemic, innovation persisted in non-COVID related accessible wireless technologies; a testament to the tenacity of the mobile access and inclusion movement.

To that end, 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 various emergency alerting signals (audible, visual, tactile, and a combination of these) under everyday conditions and in their environments. If you are interested in participating, please email salimah@cacp.gatech.edu.

Finally, the Wireless RERC will convene its State of Technology Forum Tuesday, March 23^rd, from 8:50 am to 1:00 pm through Wednesday, March 24^th, from 9:15 am to 12:00 pm. The Forum will examine the evolving nature and capacities of wireless technologies and identify opportunities to meet a range of community needs for access, equity, and inclusion. To maintain a roundtable-feel, the event is invite-only, and there is limited space. If you would like to be added to the outreach list, please email Salimah@cacp.gatech.edu.

This issue also includes news about broadband mapping, accessible COVID-19 resources, smart devices, wearables, augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, WCAG 3.0, and more.

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_january_2021.pdf

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_january_2021.docx

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – Winter Issue

Mz22 — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 17:14:01 +0000

Date of Publication:

2021 January

The third of December was International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), and the United Nations themed the 2020 celebration "Building Back Better: Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible, and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World." The key messages for IDPD 2020 were health equity-focused and included among others: (1) “The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to build back better our health systems so that they are more inclusive and responsive to the needs and human rights of people experiencing disability in all their diversity.” (2) “Countries need to shift towards a service delivery system rooted in the communities, reaching out and empowering people with disabilities.”

In legislative news, the EXTEND Act [HR 808] was introduced in Congress in November of 2020. The Act aims to expand how states can utilize federal funding from the CARES Act, specifically, allowing states to invest in rural broadband connectivity. This legislation underscores the need to address accessibility to resources and daily life as the country has become unprecedentedly reliant on digital interactions.

In regulatory news, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released several Orders and proposed rules on various matters, including gift rule waivers for Rural Health Care (RHC) and E-Rate program members, fully automatic Internet Protocol Captioned Telephone Service (IP CTS), rural digital opportunity fund, and expansion of marketing opportunities for innovative technologies.

The Wireless RERC is seeking research participants with sensory disabilities from the Metro Atlanta area to participate in a study investigating the accessibility of various emergency alerting signals (audible, visual, tactile, and a combination of these) under everyday conditions and in their environments. If you are interested in participating, please contact Salimah LaForce at salimah@cacp.gatech.edu.

This newsletter also includes news about smart devices, wearables, robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, digital accessibility guidelines, upcoming assistive technology conferences, and more.

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_winter_issue_2020.docx

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_winter_issue_2020.pdf

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – September 2020

Mz22 — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 17:22:54 +0000

Date of Publication:

2020 October

In September, National Preparedness Month was celebrated. Many counties, cities, and nonprofits across the country took the opportunity to virtually educate citizens on the importance of being prepared in the event of a local or national emergency. And the celebrations continued with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA). They hosted a discussion panel composed of several prominent members, including the Deputy Chief of the FCC, co-chairs of the Disability Advisory Committee, and the Disability Rights Office Chief. The panel highlighted the progress made towards accessibility since the passage of the CVAA. The Recording of the Live Event is available.

In Wireless RERC news, we submitted comments to the Department of Commerce in response to their Public Notice NTIA Internet Use Survey Questionnaire Development [Docket No. 200813-0218]. The comments recommended that NTIA include additional questions related to the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, services, and use cases. We also published our third Biennial Review of Mobile Phone Accessibility, quantifying accessibility levels of mobile phones available in the U.S. market as of February 2020, and a policy brief that summarizes the FCC’s response to COVID-19 and its implications for people with disabilities. Finally, we continue data collection for our 2020 Survey of User Needs. If you have not already, please take the survey.

Our newsletter also highlights upcoming virtual events related to wireless technology and people with disabilities. The 46^th Annual American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity (AAAED) is still hosting bimonthly virtual sessions. Within our newsletter, you can find the topics of October’s virtual conference workshops. Also forthcoming is the Sight Tech Global conference, which is free to attend. Registration is open now.

This issue also includes news about broadband network hardening, a music app, accessible voting, disability awareness, assistive technologies, wearables, and more.

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_september_2020.pdf

technology_and_disability_policy_highlights_-_september_2020.docx

The Federal Communication Commissions' Response to COVID-19: Implications for People with Disabilities

Mz22 — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 20:35:04 +0000

Date of Publication:

2020 September

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) policies and regulations in response to COVID-19 had the opportunity to profoundly shape digital experiences and social outcomes for Americans with disabilities. However, the FCC's response must be met with an equal effort by other stakeholders to fully realize the intended outcomes. This policy brief identifies and describes the FCC's response to the global health pandemic and the implications of the same for people with disabilities.

fcc_policy_brief_-_the_federal_communication_commissions_response_to_covid-19.pdf

Biennial analysis of mobile phone accessibility: Comparative analyses reveals pain points and progress

Mz22 — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 11:53:30 +0000

Date of Publication:

2020 September

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) published its third Biennial Review of Mobile Phone Accessibility, quantifying accessibility levels of mobile phones available in the U.S. market as of February 2020. The study analyzed 141 phones from the Tier 1 wireless carriers (e.g., Verizon and Sprint), one prepaid carrier, and five Lifeline carriers. The Review assessed the presence of 35 features associated with device accessibility for people with disabilities. This report provides an analysis of mobile phone accessibility features across the sample, including disability type, and comparative analyses based on phone type (smartphone compared to non-smartphone), the data collection period (2017 compared to 2019/20), and carrier types (Tier 1 compared to Lifeline providers). Major findings include:

In the aggregate, there was growth in accessibility features for people with a wide range of disabilities. Upon disaggregating the data, except for some features for vision disabilities, the sampled mobile phones in 2019/20 outperformed the sampled phones in 2017 in the hearing, cognitive, mobility and dexterity disabilities categories.
There was an increase in the percentage of phones with features available for people with cognitive disabilities, including significant increases in the presence of text-to-speech, full access screen readers, and biometric log-in.
The growth of accessibility features between 2017 and 2019 shows a shift towards the integration of novel and more advanced technology.
Smartphones outperformed non-smartphones in the percentage of accessibility features present, pulling higher percentages for 26 of the 35 features examined, showing that smartphones not only have a greater variety of accessibility features, but they outperform non-smartphones in many categories of accessibility.
Compared to the hearing aid compatibility (HAC) ratings found in 2017, the percentage of phones that were HAC compliant noticeably improved. The ratings shifted from a majority of devices falling into the M3/T3 category in 2017, to a majority of the mobile phones landing into the M4/T3 rating in 2019/20.
Data indicated that having more than one disability (i.e., comorbidity) makes identifying an appropriate mobile device more complex, particularly if the concurrent disability has a fewer number of associated mobile device accessibility features.
Tier 1 provided mobile phones outperformed Lifeline provider phone models.
Despite Tier 1 phone models outperforming Lifeline-provided models on the presence of accessibility features, there is a more encouraging finding that shows 2019/2020 devices obtained from Lifeline providers have improved accessibility levels compared to 2017 data.
The data indicates that WEA-capable devices have more accessibility options than non-WEA-capable phone models and the percentage of WEA-capable phones increased from 35% in 2017 to 74% in 2019.

In response to these findings, we offer several recommendations. Foremost, as new features are developed, mobile phone manufacturers are encouraged to continue to incorporate users with disabilities into all stages of the design process so that accessibility, and consequential usability, is intentional within digital designs instead of a fortuitous byproduct of innovative technology. Also, with mobile phones of all types dominating how we communicate, manufacturers should continue expanding options that allow customizability of devices and services for individual user needs and preferences.

2020_analysis_of_mobile_phones_final.pdf

Wireless Inclusive RERC| Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA - Students

The Wireless Emergency Alerts Video Platform: Emergency Alerts in Many Formats Allow Access for All

Survey of User Needs, SUNspot 1 Use of Mobile Phones by Individuals with Disabilities, 2019-2020

Survey of User Needs, SUNspot 2 Use of Wireless Technology Features and Wireless Device Activities by Individuals with Disabilities, 2019-2020

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – Spring 2021

State of Technology Forum 2021

Flipbook SOT Forum Program

SOT Forum Program - Accessible Word Version - Large Font

SOT Forum Program - Accessible PDF Version - Large Font

SOT Forum Agenda - PDF

SOT Forum Agenda - Word Version, 14 pt. Font

SoT Forum Program - Word Version (standard)

SOT Forum Program (standard) - PDF

Select Proceedings Paper Working Drafts

R&D Showcase Videos

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – January 2021

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – Winter Issue

Technology and Disability Policy Highlights – September 2020

The Federal Communication Commissions' Response to COVID-19: Implications for People with Disabilities

Biennial analysis of mobile phone accessibility: Comparative analyses reveals pain points and progress