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

TDI Nonprofit Requests Participants for Communication Access Survey

dbright7@gatech.edu — Thu, 06 May 2021 02:49:37 +0000

May 2021 — TDI recently released a community survey to improve understanding of people with hearing impairments’ communication access in telecommunications, media, technology, and emergency communications. They encourage all people deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, deafblind and deaf with mobility issues aged 18 and over to respond. The TDI anticipates the survey taking approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete. By completing the survey, participants will be enrolled in a drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card. After the survey closes, TDI will randomly draw five individuals. The survey can be found at: surveymonkey.com/r/TDI_TechAccess_Survey2021

TDI Public Notice Soliciting Survey Participants

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Friday, March 26, 2021

CDC Foundation and Georgia Tech's Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation Launch Microsite with COVID-19 Resources for People with Disabilities

Mz22 — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 20:17:14 +0000

Georgia Tech's Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI) partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to launch a microsite with information related to COVID-19 for people with disabilities. The “microsite” highlights resources by accessibility type. There are also additional resources to support people with disabilities during COVID-19 and teleworking such as webinars and training. This project was also made possible by Deaf Link; the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies (CLDS), Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD). [Source: CDC Foundation via PR News Wire]

CDC Foundation and Georgia Tech's Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation Launch Microsite with COVID-19 Resources for People

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Sunday, February 7, 2021

Public Working Draft of W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0

Mz22 — Sun, 07 Feb 2021 18:41:59 +0000

January 2021 – On January 21^st, W3C published its first working draft of the W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0. The guidelines provide recommendations for making web content more accessible to users with disabilities. They help address the needs of users with vision impairments, deafness or hearing loss, limited movement and agility, speech disabilities, sensory disorders, cognitive and learning disabilities, and combinations of these. The guidelines cover various web content types, including static content, interactive content, visual and auditory media, and virtual and augmented reality. They also address related web tools such as user agents (browsers and assistive technologies), content management systems, authoring tools, and testing tools.

Each guideline provides information on accessibility practices that address well-documented user needs of people with disabilities. Each guideline is also tied to outcomes, discussing critical errors and outcome scoring to determine whether the user need has been met. Guidelines are also supported by technology-specific methods to meet each outcome. While WCAG 2 success criteria can be moved to WCAG 3 with minimal changes, there have been updates to the testing and scoring methods. Thus, WCAG 3 proposes a different name, scope, structure, and conformance model from WCAG 2. It is intended to be easier to understand and more flexible than WCAG 2. The flexibility is intended to address different types of web content, apps, and tools, as well as include a broader range of persons with disabilities. Importantly, WCAG 3.0 is not backward compatible with WCAG 2. That means WCAG 3.0 does not supersede WCAG 2.2 and previous versions; it is an alternative set of guidelines. Once these guidelines become a W3C Recommendation, the W3C will advise creators to use WCAG 3.0 for maximum effect.

This First Public Working Draft is an early-stage draft, published to obtain a review of the direction proposed. The Working Group is seeking input on the flexible conformance approach, the ease of shifting from WCAG 2 to WCAG 3, and usability, among other questions. Extensive review questions can be found in the blog post WCAG 3 FPWD Published. The public is encouraged to file an issue in the W3C silver GitHub repository to leave feedback, filing each comment as a separate issue. Alternately, comments can be emailed to public-agwg-comments@w3.org. The Working Group has requested comments on this draft by 26 February 2021. [Source: W3C]

W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0

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Sunday, February 7, 2021

Cognitive Empowerment Program Research Symposium

Mz22 — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 22:36:28 +0000

The Cognitive Empowerment Program (CEP), a joint effort between Emory University’s Brain Health Center and the Georgia Institute of Technology, invites you and members of your network to attend the first annual CEP Research Symposium taking place on Friday, January 29, 2021, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM (EST) on a virtual platform.

The goal of the symposium is for researchers, stakeholders, staff, members, care partners, and community members to share and discuss research aimed at empowering people living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We will take stock, move forward, encourage collaboration, and synergize the center's progress. Attendees will hear from various researchers (inside and outside of the CEP) about the work they have accomplished in 2020 and what they're planning for the CEP members in 2021. In addition, we will hear stories from the members of the CEP about how the program has positively affected their lives. To learn more about the CEP, please visit http://ipat.gatech.edu/cep.

The CEP hopes that you are able to attend the symposium and ask that you share this invitation with the members of your network. To register for the conference, please visit https://bit.ly/3ne6omS. And for more information about the symposium, please contact Jennifer DuBose at jennifer.dubose@design.gatech.edu.

Please note that registration is required and the login instructions to the virtual platform as well as the meeting agenda will be emailed to registrants in mid-January.

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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

The Rise of On-Device Neural Networks

dbright7@gatech.edu — Thu, 13 Aug 2020 16:41:14 +0000

August 2020 - On-device is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that quickly became popular in mobile phones. On-device AI is a technology that can “perceive, reason, and take intuitive actions based on awareness of the situation” and is considered more advanced than conventional algorithms. This technology can revolutionize access for people with visual impairments. People with visual impairments may encounter challenges with identifying packaged foods, at home and in the store; however, on-device neural networks on mobile devices can perform these tasks. Two on-device neural networks, MnasNet and MobileNets, are currently in the development stages to complete tasks like labeled product recognition in real-time. Google has also recently developed its own on-device neural network model, Lookout, as an Android app that improves accessibility for people with visual impairment. For tasks such as product recognition, the model includes product index, object tracking, and optical character recognition features which assist with an accurate assessment of products.

Google highlights its model, Lookout, with an in-depth look at the design. The Lookout system has the following components: frame cache, frame selector, detector, object tracker, embedder, index searcher, OCR, scorer, and result presenter. The Frame Cache is the base that manages the “lifecycle” of the image and delivers the data to the other parts of the system. Each image frame goes through the detector which attempts to identify the product while the object trackers simultaneously detect the product’s shape in real-time. Subsequently, these regions of interest from the detector are sent to the embedder model. The embedder unit narrows down the possibilities particularly for products where two images may appear and the system must identify which product it is. The other components, index searcher and OCR, reads the product and extract additional information such as packet size or flavor variant. The scorer aspect of the model provides the result list and the top result after scoring is deemed the final result. The result presenter provides the product name via text-to-speech (TTS). On-Device models are becoming ubiquitous; as developers integrate them into the fabric of wireless technology, it expands the possibility for increased accessibility [Source: Chao Chen via Google AI Blog; Qualcomm].

Google AI Blog

Qualcomm

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Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Student Group Pushes for Faculty to take Compulsory Accessibility Classes

dbright7@gatech.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:30:20 +0000

June 2020 – The student-led group, Trinity Ability Co_Op, at Trinity University, has launched an initiative that would require teaching faculty to take a mandatory accessibility class. The student group received support from the University's Disability Service and aims to ensure that teaching faculty are equipped with best practices for educating students with disabilities. Specifically, the group is pushing to ensure that teachers understand College-approved accommodations and encourage them to make tutorial notes and subtitles for online lectures available. For those teaching faculty who engage in dialogues and are proactive in their approach to disability accommodations, the group hopes to present an "Ally Award." Finally, Trinity Ability Co_Op seeks to introduce a process that the College must consult the disability advocacy group before passing policies. These "ability-approved policy" ensures that students with disabilities are at the forefront of the conversation as opposed to an afterthought. [Source: Cormac Watson via UniversityTimes]atson via UniversityTimes]

Mandatory Accessibility Classes

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Friday, July 31, 2020

Video Game Increases Accessibility for People with Disabilities

dbright7@gatech.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:19:59 +0000

June 2020 – The announcement of the upcoming video game release, The Last of Us Part II, garnered significant attention based on the over sixty accessibility features that were included. The video game company, Naughty Dog, asserts that this game is their most accessible game yet. This video game is PlayStation compatible and was set to release on June 19^th. The Last of Us Part II will include:

Accessibility Presets configure settings for players who are blind or have low vision, who have mobility disabilities, or who have hearing issues.
Alternate Controls that allow you to fully remap your outputs, which is impressive considering how many different controls are built into the game.
HUD scaling to help players change the size of HUD elements like text.
A colorblind mode, along with giving players the ability to change other colors.
Camera shake customization for those prone to motion sickness.
Navigation assistance, which faces the camera in the direction of where you need to go.
Enhanced Listen Mode, which allows you to scan for items while in Listen Mode.
Both a Skip Puzzle Option and Infinite Breath for breathing underwater.
Text-to-speech audio technology. The supported text-to-speech languages include: English, UK English, French, Italian, German, Danish, Turkish, Russian, Czech, Greek, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Croatian, LATAM Spanish
Combat accessibility options that make certain parts of combat easier, like reducing enemy perception and allowing you to be invisible while prone.

For the extensive list of (60+) accessibility features, please check the links below. [Source: Matthew Gallant at Naughty Dog via PlayStation Blog; Carli Velocci via Android Central]

Video Game Increases Accessibility for People with Disabilities

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Friday, July 31, 2020

Virtual Theater Benefits Students with Disabilities

dbright7@gatech.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:16:50 +0000

June 2020 – Independent theater company owner, Katie Cummings, created the Pink Umbrella Theater to provide acting opportunities to students with different needs. As COVID-19 forced the acting company into a virtual setting, Cummings has actually been able to expand the course offerings, and students were able to take coaching sessions/classes through Zoom. The company owner shared the following highlights and assessments from the now virtual acting company:

Students who have autism and other sensory sensitivities love doing their classes from their own homes where they're more comfortable.
Students who have physical disabilities love that they don't have to worry about transportation to and from classes.
Previous teachers who have moved to other cities love that they can "come back" to teach their students.

According to Cummings, students are "a lot more open to trying new experiences when they're in their own homes…for a lot of the students; it's breaking down barriers." Several students shared how virtual courses have assisted them. For one student with autism, the virtual setting removed the sensory-overloaded world. Because of COVID-19, many of these parents have learned how to "make things better for [their differently-abled children]." Though Pink Umbrella Theater intends to return to in-person classes eventually, Cummings shared that she also intends to keep the virtual courses. For this summer, Pink Umbrella is offering the following courses (which are now open for registration) for students with disabilities:

One-to-one vocal, acting, and musical theater coaching.
Ensemble classes are divided by age group (8-13, 13-18 and 18 and older) and include acting; acting and mindfulness; acting and movement; found puppetry; musical theater; and improv.
"Musical theater & me" is a downloadable video class for people who don't have time to sign up for a full week of classes.
"Pink Pop up" is a bi-weekly session for caregivers, parents, and guardians to share their experiences.
"Pink in a box!" is a Zoom class for children ages 4-8 and their caregivers, which includes a box of sensory immersive materials for families to use as they take the classes.
Sibling musical theater is an acting class dedicated to the siblings of people who identify with a disability.

Below is the link for Pink Umbrella's company website [Source: Amy Schwabe via Milwaukee Journal Sentinel].

Milwaukee Virtual Theater

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Friday, July 31, 2020

Customized Wheelchair Company Aims to Alter Perceptions

dbright7@gatech.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:13:52 +0000

June 2020 – Neofly, the custom-fitted wheelchair produced by NeoMotion, aims to alter perceptions of mobility differences in India. The NeoMotion startup company is based out of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M). The NeoFly wheelchair's custom fit helps "promote right posture, good health, independence, and style." In contrast to the conventional wheelchair, Neofly can cover approximately 3 to 3.5 yards with a single push while the traditional wheelchair averages 1 to 1.5 yards. The NeoBolt is a feature on the NeoFly that can convert the wheelchair into a safe motor vehicle. The motor-powered-clip on the device allows the user to travel up to 18 miles with a single charge. The product designers wanted Indians with mobile disabilities to have the same custom fit as American and European chairs while keeping the cost reasonable. [Source: Newz Hook]

Custom-Fitted Wheelchair

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Friday, July 31, 2020

Virtual Expo Hosts a Myriad of Resources & Relevant Dialogues

dbright7@gatech.edu — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 15:09:31 +0000

June 2020 – The organization, Abilities, hosted a virtual expo event from June 19 – June 21, 2020. The expo had numerous free, on-demand workshops. Some of the fully captioned workshops explored topics such as Accessible Home Design: Outdoor Spaces by Mark Thompson; Creating a Sensory Room at home by Ericka Polanco Webb; Disability & Special Needs Planning Made Easy by Andre; Healthy Lifestyle: Connecting Mental Health to Overall Health by Tracy Williams; and Maintaining Health with Spinal Cord Injury by Nurse Linda, Ph.D. There were over a dozen more virtual expo workshops to attend and also focused on activities such as financial planning for families. The Abilities virtual expo also showcased the latest Tech & Disability Products and Adaptive Online Activities such as dance, yoga, service animals, and athletics & fitness. The Abilities virtual expo event was packed full of content for its attendees [Source: Abilities].

Abilities Expo Virtual Experience

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Friday, July 31, 2020