Information Studies Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2780

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ACCESSIBILITY IN CONTEXT: UNDERSTANDING THE TRULY MOBILE EXPERIENCE OF USERS WITH MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS
(2014) Naftali, Maia; Findlater, Leah; History/Library & Information Systems; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Touchscreen smartphones are becoming broadly adopted by the US population. Ensuring that these devices are accessible for people with disabilities is critical for equal access. For people with motor impairments, the vast majority of studies on touchscreen mobile accessibility have taken place in the laboratory. These studies show that while touchscreen input offers advantages, such as requiring less strength than physical buttons, it also presents accessibility challenges, such as the difficulty of tapping on small targets or making multitouch gestures. However, because of the focus on controlled lab settings, past work does not provide an understanding of contextual factors that impact smartphone use in everyday life, and the activities these devices enable for people with motor impairments. To investigate these issues, this thesis research includes two studies, first, an in-person study with four participants with motor impairments that included diary entries and an observational session, and, secondarily, an online survey with nine respondents. Using case study analysis for the in-person participants, we found that mobile devices have the potential to help motor-impaired users reduce the physical effort required for everyday tasks (e.g., turning on a TV, checking transit accessibility in advance), that challenges in touchscreen input still exist, and that the impact of situational impairments to this population can be impeding. The online survey results confirm these findings, for example, highlighting the difficulty of text input, particularly when users are out and mobile rather than at home. Based on these findings, future research should focus on the enhancement of current touchscreen input, exploring the potential of wearable devices for mobile accessibility, and designing more applications and services to improve access to physical world.
The Cost of Turning Heads - The Design and Evaluation of Vocabulary Prompts on a Head-Worn Display to Support Persons with Aphasia in Conversation
(2015) Williams, Kristin; Findlater, Leah; Geography/Library & Information Systems; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Symbol-based dictionaries could provide persons with aphasia a resource for finding needed words, but they can detract from conversation. This research explores the potential of head-worn displays (HWDs) to provide glanceable vocabulary support that is unobtrusive and always-available. Two formative studies explored the benefits and challenges of using a HWD, and evaluated a proof-of-concept prototype in both lab and field settings. These studies showed that a HWD may allow wearers to maintain focus on the conversation, reduce reliance on external support (e.g., paper and pen, or people), and minimize the visibility of support by others. A third study compared use of a HWD to a smartphone, and found preliminary evidence that the HWD may offer a better overall experience with assistive vocabulary and may better support the wearer in advancing through conversation. These studies should motivate further investigation of head-worn conversational support.