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This paper introduces RABBIT, a novel robot-assisted bed bathing system designed to address the growing need for assistive technologies in personal hygiene tasks. It combines multimodal perception and dual (software and hardware) compliance to perform safe and comfortable physical human-robot interaction. Using RGB and thermal imaging to segment dry, soapy, and wet skin regions accurately, RABBIT can effectively execute washing, rinsing, and drying tasks in line with expert caregiving practices. Our system includes custom-designed motion primitives inspired by human caregiving techniques, and a novel compliant end-effector called Scrubby, optimized for gentle and effective interactions. We conducted a user study with 12 participants, including one participant with severe mobility limitations, demonstrating the system's effectiveness and perceived comfort. Supplementary material and videos can be found on our website \hrefhttps://emprise.cs.cornell.edu/rabbit emprise.cs.cornell.edu/rabbit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, the accessibility research community centers most of its efforts on designing assistive technologies and systems related to single categories of impairments. Although this approach has contributed to valuable progress and advancements in the field, there is a growing consensus among accessibility researchers that focusing on designing technologies for single impairments oversimplifies disability since this approach may fail to adequately address the real-world experiences of a significant population of users with complex needs. Despite challenges related to conducting research with users living with multiple, profound, or complex disabilities, it is essential in terms of future work that the accessibility research community adopts a more inclusive approach where users with lived experience of multiple disabilities are directly informing and shaping the design of assistive systems and accessible technologies. Therefore, we propose the 2nd International Workshop on Accessibility Research and Users with Multiple Disabilities or Complex Needs. The workshop will act as a forum for participants to share their perspectives related to challenges and opportunities in designing accessible systems that consider the multidimensional needs of users living with multiple disabilities. This workshop intends to challenge current paradigms in the accessibility field, share latest work and foster future collaborations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musical haptic wearables (MHWs) that convey information through vibrotactile feedback holds the potential to support the music learning of a blind or low vision (BLV) music learner. Yet, it is unclear how these technologies can give functional support to a BLV person. We also investigated material preferences in such technologies to understand the role of non-functional aesthetic experiences in shaping their music learning. We conducted 5 co-design workshops with 10 BLV participants. Participants explored eleven materials common in a music learning environment and engaged in bodystorming with a prototype that communicated six vibrotactile patterns. Through thematic analysis, we found that MHWs with vibrotactile alerts and variations in vibration are suited to communicate instructional information, aid music reading and support technical guidance and practice. We categorized the participants' material experiences into sensorial, interpretive, and affective levels. Based on our findings, we discuss considerations when designing vibrotactile interactions to support music learning for BLV people and highlight material experiences that should be emphasized to make the music learning experience wholesome for BLV music learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social dining, i.e., eating with/in company, is replete with meaning and cultural significance. Unfortunately, for the 1.8 million Americans with motor impairments who cannot eat without assistance, challenges restrict them from enjoying this pleasant social ritual. In this work, we identify the needs of participants with motor impairments during social dining and how robot-assisted feeding can address them. Using speculative videos that show robot behaviors within a social dining context, we interviewed participants to understand their preferences. Following a community-based participatory research method, we worked with a community researcher with motor impairments throughout this study. We contribute (a) insights into how a robot can help overcome challenges in social dining, (b) design principles for creating robot-assisted feeding systems, (c) and an implementation guide for future research in this area. Our key finding is that robots' unique assistive qualities can address challenges people with motor impairments face during social dining, promoting empowerment and belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As technology continues to advance and more institutions adopt assistive technologies strategies, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the most effective ways to implement assistive technologies strategies in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to explore how assistive technologies strategies can be effectively integrated into higher education for disabled communities. Orientation and mobility are often underestimated. People with disabilities, such as deaf, blind, and physically impaired people, are often challenged with navigation problems. Signage is the most common mechanism of wayfinding information, but orientation is much more complex. To address the lack of inclusion and accessibility that overwhelms indoor environments, such as schools and public services, an Indoor Mapping application was designed. The target is the ISEP community -- its students, staff, and visitors. The aim is to create an assistive technology, that can guide disabled students, but also incoming and Erasmus students that struggle in their early days at the University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive technologies (AT) are a necessity for a person with a severe disability to be able to lead a self-determined life within modern societies. Thus, these technologies fulfil an important societal role and have a significant impact on the lives of those affected. This experience report provides insights on the lived experiences surrounding the necessary use of AT from the point of view of a disabled person. Using an autoethnographic approach, we determine the function and relevance of AT in everyday life and illustrate the intended and unintended effects of AT as well as the subsequently arising socio-technical dependencies through representative examples. The results show how the resulting dependencies on AT pose a risk for users, especially in the event of a technological failure. Furthermore, a deployment of AT without the necessary reflection and preparation of backup strategies in case of failure may lead to unexpected and inadvertent, potentially harmful, side-effects. Based on these observations, we elaborate on the implications for different stakeholder groups involved with the design, development, deployment and daily use of AT. We deem the key factors for success to lie in a deeper understanding of the application context, the integration of affected people in the development process as well as a fundamentally reflective approach by everyone involved with AT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, the accessibility community has focused on designing assistive technologies and systems related to single categories of impairments. While this approach is justifiable and contributes to the advancement of the field, many researchers argue that designing technologies for one impairment at a time contributes to an oversimplification of disability and does not reflect real-world experiences of a significant number of users who live with multiple impairments. How can the accessibility field leverage theories and concepts from other disciplines (e.g. disability studies, medical humanities, social work, engineering, education) to support more appropriate and inclusive technologies for users with complex needs? How can future assistive technologies take into consideration a diverse combination of sensory, cognitive, and physical characteristics? In this workshop, we invite researchers and practitioners from different disciplines to share their perspectives related to challenges and opportunities in designing accessible systems that consider the multidimensional and often complex needs of users living with multiple impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of computing, online content is rapidly growing. Thus, ensuring web accessibility remains a major concern for web technologists. Among the massive number of advanced technologies, artificial intelligence is a technological advancement with immense potential to improve the accessibility of web content, especially for people with disabilities. Therefore, in this work, we studied the existing works associated with artificial intelligence developments to assess its effectiveness in web accessibility. Based on our findings, we address some of the potentials of artificial intelligence and possible challenges in the context of web accessibility. In terms of the ground of AI, we address some implications that need to consider in forward to inspect artificial intelligence in web accessibility to improve its performance and functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive navigational technologies offer considerable promise to people who are blind. However, uptake of these technologies has traditionally been lower in low and middle income countries (LMICs), where levels of investment and maintenance in infrastructure differ from upper middle (UMICs) and high income countries (HICs). In this paper, we describe a qualitative study undertaken with 14 people who identify as legally-blind in an LMIC (India) to understand their experiences and strategies used when navigating within a metropolitan area. We highlight a set of scenarios impacting people who are blind within the context studied. These include crossing busy highways, navigating in the rainy season, collaborating with others to navigate at night, and using older public transportation. Our work brings attention to areas where the latest successful and well-publicized innovations in blind navigation may fall short when used in an Indian metropolitan area. We suggest that designers should be cognizant of the role that infrastructure (particularly its shortcomings) and environmental factors may play when navigating in LMICs such as India, with a view to designing assistive navigational technologies to better match the needs of users within these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer access is increasingly critical for all aspects of life from education to employment to daily living, health and almost all types of participation. The pandemic has highlighted our dependence on technology, but the dependence existed before and is continuing after. Yet many face barriers due to disability, literacy, or digital literacy. Although the problems faced by individuals with disabilities have received focus for some time, the problems faced by people who just have difficulty in using technologies has not, but is a second large, yet less understood problem. Solutions exist but are often not installed, buried, hard to find, and difficult to understand and use. To address these problems, an open-source extension to the Windows and macOS operating systems has been under exploration and development by an international consortium of organizations, companies, and individuals. It combines auto-personalization, layering, and enhanced discovery, with the ability to Install on Demand (IoD) any assistive technologies a user needs. The software, called Morphic, is now installed on all of the computers across campus at several major universities and libraries in the US and Canada. It makes computers simpler to use, and allows whichever features or assistive technologies a person needs to appear on any computer they encounter (that has Morphic on it) and want to use at school, work, library, community center, etc. This demonstration will cover both the basic and advanced features as well as how to get free copies of the open-source software and configure it for school, work or personal use. It will also highlight lessons learned from the placements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the issue of bias in datasets designed to train visual question answering (VQA) algorithms. These datasets include a collection of natural language questions about images (aka ‐ visual questions). We consider three popular datasets that are captured by people with sight, people who are blind, and generated by computers. We first demonstrate that machine learning algorithms can be trained to recognize each dataset's bias, and so determine the source of a novel visual question. We then discuss potential risks and benefits of biased VQA datasets and corresponding machine learning algorithms that can identify the source of a visual question; e.g., whether it comes from a person with sight, a person who is blind, or bot (aka ‐ computer). Our ultimate aim is to inspire the development of more inclusive VQA systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music Therapy has been shown to be an effective intervention for clients with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC), a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that can affect people in a number of ways. This paper presents a study evaluating the use of a multimodal 3D interactive tool, CymaSense, within a series of music therapy sessions. Eight adults with ASC participated in an 8-week period using a single case experimental design approach. The study used qualitative and quantitative methodological tools for analysis within and beyond the therapy sessions. The results indicate an increase in communicative behaviours for both verbal and non-verbal participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of CISTI (Iberian Conference on Information Systems & Technologies / Conferência Ibérica de Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação) Proceedings is the property of Conferencia Iberica de Sistemas Tecnologia de Informacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As populations age around the globe, concern about how they can maintain their health and well-being in their homes is increasing. In this context, caring from a distance in elderly context is a major contemporary societal matter. Assistive technologies are regarded as one of the most promising ways to meet older adults' needs at home, helping to enhance quality of life, prolong independent living and support family carers. This paper aims to provide a descriptive framework on the application of assistive technologies to elderly support and care. With this aim, home care assistance in the aging context is emphasized, and a conceptualization of assistive technologies is provided. Furthermore, assistive technologies in supporting aging are discussed, stressing its impacts, benefits, barriers. Finally, assistive technologies in elderly care are emphasized, namely telecare, telehealth and smarthome solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to digital interfaces is a growing concern due to its increasing role in all aspects of our lives. Those who cannot access and use digital technologies will not be able to participate in the society or even live independently in smart or non-smart homes as they are currently evolving. This includes many who face barriers due to their disability, literacy, or digital literacy. Solutions exist but are often not installed, buried, hard to find, and difficult to understand and use. A new extension to the operating system that combines auto-personalization, layering, enhanced discovery, and Install on Demand (IoD) seeks to make computers easier to use by those who have difficulty learning and understanding them, and also make it easier to set up and use assistive technologies. Key to its utility is the ability to have these features and capabilities appear on any computer they encounter and want to use at school, work, library, community center, etc. Pilot testing is being launched in libraries, job centers and a community college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to information is a fundamental problem for people with vision impairment (PVI). Textual information are considerably more accessible with the use of screen readers that work on desktop and mobile devices. However, access to graphical information is still a challenging problem. There are different technologies to present graphics to PVI, but almost all of them suffer from practicality and portability. This paper describes the GraVVITAS (Graphics Viewer using Vibration Interactive Touch and Speech) framework which aims to be a complementary system for other assistive technologies; a solution that can be carried in one's pocket. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic technology has long been seen as a potential mobility aid for the visually impaired, and the latest advancements in sensing and artificial intelligence have made it a reality. Before starting the project, we researched the capabilities of, and user interactions with guide dogs. We discovered that the rich haptic interaction with the "handle" allows users to comfortably follow a guide dog. We then began designing a navigation robot with a handle that is small and slim enough to be followed in a similar body posture. Our goal was to make the robot natural and seamless in an urban environment, leading us to the concept of the AI Suitcase, a suitcase-shaped robot. In this presentation, after reviewing the capabilities of a guide dog, we will explain the concept, design, and implementation of the AI Suitcase and interaction techniques with the robot. We will also discuss the challenges of implementing such new robotic technologies in the real world, including technical challenges, infrastructure challenges, business models, and social acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A special needs individual is a broad term used to describe a person with a behavioural or emotional disorder, physical disability or learning disability. Many individuals with special needs are limited in verbal communication, or in many cases non-verbal, making communication and learning a challenging task. Additionally, new forms of communication based on technology aren't designed for them, making them increasingly isolated in social and educational terms. In spite of this, and fortunately, new forms of interaction do exist and they enable these particular users to access knowledge and provide them with the ability to interact with others, undertaking otherwise impossible. In this project the technology used will not be an end in itself but only a way to "drop" the mouse/keyboard paradigm making use of affordable devices available in the market that could be adopted by people with special needs that are unable to apply the traditional forms of interaction, thus assisting people in their education, integration and rehabilitation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) is the only available technology for patients in advanced ALS when eye-tracking based devices could be no longer used because of loss of gaze control. The BCI can convert brain electrical signals into commands able to control external devices without need of any voluntary movement. Among different approaches of signal analysis, a recent BCI system, the BrainControl Basic Communicator (BC), based on event related desynchronization (ERD) produced by motor imagery (MI), has been recently developed by Liquidweb s.r.l. and proposed in the current project. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of the Braincontrol BC as an AAC device and to validate the training methodology with regards of ALS patients in locked-in state. The study was conducted, from 2012 to 2015, on two groups: one of 34 ALS patients and another of 63 healthy users. The results of this observation confirm that the device, after the first phase training, is efficient and robust for patients in advanced ALS state. Trainings have been completed successfully for all the healthy users and ALS patients in initial and severe stage of the disease; only 2 of 34 patients located in the ALS patients group failed the training. In particular, these 2 patient were in completely locked-in state, in which cognitive status information where unknown. After this study, 17 locked-in patients, that really needs this technology, have continued to use the system as a communicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual keyboards are useful tools, which ease effortless entry of textual data and enable typing with alternative input hardware such as a single switch. Early virtual keyboards are designed similar to physical keyboards in terms of appearance. Since a physical keyboard is designed for tactile-use; the usability of the first virtual keyboards comes up short in utilization with pointing devices. For this reason, more useful virtual keyboards are proposed with improvements in modal and functional properties. In this study, we examine a couple of design issues for virtual keyboards to provide their efficient utilization with pointing devices. We analyze the effects of visual key layout to the performance of virtual keyboards in connection with the statistical properties of the target language's vocabulary. We also propose a virtual keyboard design for a comfortable text entry experience based on our observations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the paper we discuss our recent experience and lessons learned from education in interdisciplinary areas, such as biomedical engineering, cybernetics and robotics, and multimedia. We explain briefly the differences among these areas concerning the individual disciplines and their mutual relations. Then we discuss the requirements resulting from new application areas of engineering and technology. Finally we describe our current effort in establishing integrated laboratory facility for interdisciplinary hands-on laboratory practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

One of the major problems of doctors when dealing with children is to capture and maintain their attention. This is particularly true for oculists that must test children eyes, especially if they are very young. In this paper we present PlayWithEyes, a serious game that aims at testing the children eyes while they are having fun playing with Lea symbols and images taken from popular cartoons, using a touch interface. PlayWithEyes was created to perform screening of visual acuity of very young children, since early diagnosis is very important for some sight defects like amblyopia (lazy eye). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new one-key text entry method is presented. SAK, for "scanning ambiguous keyboard", combines one-key physical input (including error correction) with three virtual letter keys and a SPACE key. The virtual letter keys are highlighted in sequence ("scanned") and selected when the key bearing the desired letter receives focus. There is only one selection per letter. Selecting SPACE transfers scanning to a word-selection region, which presents a list of candidate words. A novel feature of SAK is multiple-letter-selection in a single scanning interval. In an evaluation with 12 participants, average entry speeds reached 5.11 wpm (all trials, 99% accuracy) or 7.03 wpm (error-free trials). A modification using "timer restart on selection" allowed for more time and more selections per scanning interval. One participant performed extended trials (5 blocks x 5 phrases/block) with the modification and reached an average entry speed of 9.28 wpm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are dependent upon specific information to fulfill their needs, which suffices their social existence. Due to advancement in technology, humans try to satisfy their social needs through smart devices. However, these devices are not able to completely justify the human needs and humans strive for companionship to combat loneliness. We propose to design a robot (MAI) that can monitor, assist and interact with humans for their better livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Project VOCOWA aims to deliver an automated solution for assistive technologies/ advanced smart assistance which will enable elderly and disabled people to live an independent and dignified life. VOCOWA can be implemented using three major technologies i.e., Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM), Deep Learning and Natural Language Processing to achieve its objectives. As of now the SLAM technology has been implemented successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the potential of smartwatches in special education, we designed, developed and evaluated WeLi - a wearable application that assists students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in educational environments. By integrating a mobile application with a smartwatch solution, the WeLi application assists students with IDDs and their assistants, facilitating collaboration, communication and planning. WeLi provides features for intervention, self-regulation for mood and reminders. The findings from the user studies show that the students and their assistants are enthusiastic about adopting the novel technology in classroom settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning a musical instrument can be a challenging task for a deaf person due to limited access to sound. Prior work has developed visual and vibrotactile approaches to provide music-to-sound feedback to deaf people. However, these systems are not designed for ad-hoc access to sound, which enables a deaf person to explore sound from various audio sources and receive real-time feedback. In this paper we present the development of a music sensory substitution system that enables ad-hoc access to musical sounds. It provides the technical basis to study deeper research questions about understanding and creating sound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities rely on assistive technology (AT) software to interact with their mobile device. The overall functionality of AT depends on a set of requirements that are not always fulfilled by application developers, often resulting in cumbersome and slow interactions, or even render content inaccessible. To address these issues we present Assistive Macros, an accessibility service developed to enable users to perform a sequence of commands with a single selection. Macros can be created manually by the user or automatically by detecting repeated sequences of interactions. In this paper, we report a preliminary case study with our prototype involving a motor impaired user and his caregivers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present work-in-progress that is exploring the potential for visual artists with physical impairments to use new non-intrusive mid-air gesturing sensors to enhance and extend their practice. We highlight the key results from an initial informal user evaluation with two disabled and two non-disabled visual artists examining use of the Leap Motion sensor as an artistic tool. Future work will explore how related technologies can be better utilized to support disabled artists in their practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of changing demographics and an ageing population, research on new technologies to support older people and people with disabilities in independent living is vital. This paper will present the results to date of a review, currently being undertaken, of recent research on new and emerging technologies designed for older people and people with disabilities. The review covers research published between 2005 and 2012 in a range of international peer-reviewed journals and conferences, in the areas of technology, human-computer interaction, disability and assistive devices. On the basis of this review of research, we are exploring what problems of older and disabled people are being addressed by researchers and developers; whether the research is motivated by user needs; the methodologies used and outcomes presented. First results will be presented in the poster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an ebook reader for Android which displays ebooks in a more accessible manner for users with dyslexia. The ebook reader combines features that other related tools already have, such as text-to-speech technology, and new features, such as displaying the text with an adapted text layout based on the results of a user study with participants with dyslexia. Since there is no universal profile of a user with dyslexia, the layout settings are customizable and users can override the special layout setting according to their reading preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual advances in the capabilities of both assistive and mainstream technologies offers great potential for meeting the needs people with disabilities. However, there are significant potential obstacles to actually realizing the benefits of these advances for people with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes computer environment called BrailleMUSE that is a free Braille music translation server on the Internet. In experiments with expert Braille translators, translation errors occurred only at extremely slight frequency. Also, the BrailleMUSE has a mirror page to a music site showing about 4,000 digital scores. It was confirmed that the system provided Braille scores by working together with the music site. It is suggested that the system is suitable for practical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In verbal dyspraxia the capacity in verbal expression is variably affected and the ability to recognize words and understand the language is preserved. In a high percentage of cases there is an evident disorder of language comprehension especially the formal aspects (L. Sabbadini, 2005). PURPOSE: To present the value of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) treatment in a child of 6 years of age with a diagnosis of a specific language impairment and motor dyspraxia with a functional diagnosis in the communication which can be assimilated with verbal dyspraxia. METHOD: Based on studies (Bornman et al., 2001; Cumley & Swanson, 1999; Harris et intal., 1996) that suggest multimodal intervention of Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) in children with verbal dyspraxia and with our team's experience in AAC intervention a gradual introduction of Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) was made to support spontaneous communication (verbal and gestural): beginning with only a few symbols in the rehabilitative setting to the shared construction of a communication book structured with primary and secondary charts used both at home and at school. The same material was used in speech therapy for the objective of amplification of the semantic, grammatical and lexical competences and metacognitive abilities. CONCLUSION: The use of AAC strategies resulted in an increase in the number of communicative partners and in the expressiveness and receptiveness of the little girl (Blackstone & Hunt Berg, 2003, 2012). The next phase involves verification the possibility of inserting high-tech communication systems. (Federici & Scherer, 2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conversation between two individuals requires verbal dialogue; the majority of human communication however consists of non-verbal cues such as gestures and facial expressions. Blind individuals are thus hindered in their interaction capabilities. To address this, we are building a computer vision system with facial recognition and expression algorithms to relay nonverbal messages to a blind user. The device will communicate the identities and facial expressions of communication partners in realtime. In order to ensure that this device will be useful to the blind community, we conducted surveys and interviews and we are working with subjects to test prototypes of the device. This paper describes the algorithms and design concepts incorporated in this device, and it provides a commentary on early survey and interview results. A corresponding poster with demonstration stills is exhibited at this conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]