BACKGROUND: Today, various emerging assistive applications (apps) running on smartphones have been introduced such as Seeing AI, TapTapSee, and BeMyEyes apps. The assistive apps are designed to assist people with visual impairment in navigating unfamiliar environments, reading text, identifying objects and persons. Yet, little is known about how those with visual impairment perceive the assistive apps. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to advance knowledge of user experience with those assistive apps. METHODS: To address the knowledge gap, this study conducted phone interviews with a convenience sample of 30 individuals with visual impairment. RESULTS: The results indicated that those with visual impairment showed a range of preferences, needs, and concerns about user interfaces and interactions with the assistive apps. DISCUSSIONS: Given their needs and concerns, this study offered a set of facilitators to promote user adoption of the assistive apps, which should be valuable guidance to user interface/interaction designers in the field.
{"title":"User experience of assistive apps among people with visual impairment","authors":"H. N. Kim","doi":"10.3233/tad-220377","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-220377","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Today, various emerging assistive applications (apps) running on smartphones have been introduced such as Seeing AI, TapTapSee, and BeMyEyes apps. The assistive apps are designed to assist people with visual impairment in navigating unfamiliar environments, reading text, identifying objects and persons. Yet, little is known about how those with visual impairment perceive the assistive apps. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to advance knowledge of user experience with those assistive apps. METHODS: To address the knowledge gap, this study conducted phone interviews with a convenience sample of 30 individuals with visual impairment. RESULTS: The results indicated that those with visual impairment showed a range of preferences, needs, and concerns about user interfaces and interactions with the assistive apps. DISCUSSIONS: Given their needs and concerns, this study offered a set of facilitators to promote user adoption of the assistive apps, which should be valuable guidance to user interface/interaction designers in the field.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48239971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stijn Roggeman, Mahyar Firouzi, N. Lefeber, E. De Keersmaecker, Lotte Cuypers, E. Swinnen, E. Joos, Marc Schiltz, S. Hatem
BACKGROUND: Walking difficulties put an individual at high risk of falling, institutionalisation and even death. The use of robotical rehabilitation or assistive devices for walking has gained considerable interest as a means of improving patients’ gait abilities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to examine patients’ intrinsic motivation to train with a wearable hip exoskeleton (Honda Walking Assist). METHODS: Rehabilitation patients (stroke, medullar lesion, orthopaedic surgery) and elderly (> 65 yrs) with walking difficulties were recruited for this study (n= 23). Each walked with the Honda Walking Assist for 30 minutes during one therapy session and completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) afterwards. RESULTS: All participants presented with high scores on the IMI, in particular for the items ‘interest/enjoyment’ (median: 43; 25th–75th perc.: 37–46; maximal score: 49), ‘perceived competence of walking’ (35 [31–38]; max. score 42) and ‘value/usefulness’ (44 [35–49]; max. score 49). CONCLUSIONS: This robotic exoskeleton for assisted walking was considered a valuable device by the majority of participants, eliciting a high degree of motivation and enjoyment.
{"title":"Intrinsic motivation for using a wearable hip exoskeleton","authors":"Stijn Roggeman, Mahyar Firouzi, N. Lefeber, E. De Keersmaecker, Lotte Cuypers, E. Swinnen, E. Joos, Marc Schiltz, S. Hatem","doi":"10.3233/tad-210362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210362","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Walking difficulties put an individual at high risk of falling, institutionalisation and even death. The use of robotical rehabilitation or assistive devices for walking has gained considerable interest as a means of improving patients’ gait abilities. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research was to examine patients’ intrinsic motivation to train with a wearable hip exoskeleton (Honda Walking Assist). METHODS: Rehabilitation patients (stroke, medullar lesion, orthopaedic surgery) and elderly (> 65 yrs) with walking difficulties were recruited for this study (n= 23). Each walked with the Honda Walking Assist for 30 minutes during one therapy session and completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) afterwards. RESULTS: All participants presented with high scores on the IMI, in particular for the items ‘interest/enjoyment’ (median: 43; 25th–75th perc.: 37–46; maximal score: 49), ‘perceived competence of walking’ (35 [31–38]; max. score 42) and ‘value/usefulness’ (44 [35–49]; max. score 49). CONCLUSIONS: This robotic exoskeleton for assisted walking was considered a valuable device by the majority of participants, eliciting a high degree of motivation and enjoyment.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48454773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: The design, provision, and assessment of prosthetic arm technologies and related services are all dependent on an understanding of how prosthetic arms are used in everyday life. This research examines the scientific literature on prosthetic arm technologies and approaches that have been used to evaluate upper limb prosthetic arms in daily life use. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review paper is to give an outline of current literature, which covers the selection, design, and choices of prosthetic arm technologies. METHODS: A structural search for the available technologies on the prosthetic arm was carried out. A research database search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Crossref, Google Scholar, and questionnaires were evaluated based on available prosthetic arm technologies, material, methodology, comfortability. RESULTS: From the proposed review, it is concluded that not all prosthetic technologies suit the patients because of the difference in injuries. Every prosthetic arm technology has its advantages and limitations depending on end-user requirements and comfortability. Based on the available literature, it is observed that amputees have been given equal importance to comfortability along with functionality. Consequently, amputees may opt for a prosthetic arm technology that is easy to use and comfortable rather than an advanced technology-based prosthetic arm but less with comfortability. CONCLUSION: An attempt has been made for extensive reviews for the various types of prosthetic systems, materials, usability, methodologies, comfortability, etc. Comparative studies on various types of available prosthetic arm technologies have been also carried out with pros and cons. More specifically, the proposed paper provides a significant review of the upper limb prosthetic arm’s current developments and their impacts.
背景：假肢技术和相关服务的设计、提供和评估都取决于对假肢在日常生活中如何使用的理解。这项研究考察了有关假肢技术和方法的科学文献，这些技术和方法已被用于评估日常生活中使用的上肢假肢。目的：本文的目的是概述当前的文献，包括假肢技术的选择、设计和选择。方法：对现有的假肢技术进行结构检索。在PubMed、Web of Science、Scopus、Crossref、Google Scholar上进行了研究数据库搜索，并根据可用的假肢技术、材料、方法和舒适性对问卷进行了评估。结果：根据拟议的综述，得出的结论是，由于损伤的差异，并非所有的假体技术都适合患者。每种假肢技术都有其优点和局限性，这取决于最终用户的要求和舒适性。根据现有文献，可以观察到截肢者对舒适性和功能性同等重视。因此，截肢者可能会选择易于使用和舒适的假肢技术，而不是基于先进技术但不太舒适的假肢。结论：已经尝试对各种类型的假肢系统、材料、可用性、方法、舒适性等进行广泛的综述。还对各种可用的假肢技术进行了比较研究，包括优缺点。更具体地说，本文对上肢假肢的当前发展及其影响进行了重要回顾。
{"title":"A systematic review on available technologies and selection for prosthetic arm restoration","authors":"Bhavesh Pawar, M. Mungla","doi":"10.3233/tad-210353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210353","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: The design, provision, and assessment of prosthetic arm technologies and related services are all dependent on an understanding of how prosthetic arms are used in everyday life. This research examines the scientific literature on prosthetic arm technologies and approaches that have been used to evaluate upper limb prosthetic arms in daily life use. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review paper is to give an outline of current literature, which covers the selection, design, and choices of prosthetic arm technologies. METHODS: A structural search for the available technologies on the prosthetic arm was carried out. A research database search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Crossref, Google Scholar, and questionnaires were evaluated based on available prosthetic arm technologies, material, methodology, comfortability. RESULTS: From the proposed review, it is concluded that not all prosthetic technologies suit the patients because of the difference in injuries. Every prosthetic arm technology has its advantages and limitations depending on end-user requirements and comfortability. Based on the available literature, it is observed that amputees have been given equal importance to comfortability along with functionality. Consequently, amputees may opt for a prosthetic arm technology that is easy to use and comfortable rather than an advanced technology-based prosthetic arm but less with comfortability. CONCLUSION: An attempt has been made for extensive reviews for the various types of prosthetic systems, materials, usability, methodologies, comfortability, etc. Comparative studies on various types of available prosthetic arm technologies have been also carried out with pros and cons. More specifically, the proposed paper provides a significant review of the upper limb prosthetic arm’s current developments and their impacts.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48545551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: New technologies have made rapid advances in the field of assistive technologies (AT), with Extended Reality (XR) offering promising results in supporting people with mild intellectual disabilities (ID). Yet, the design and goals of programs for people with mild ID may differ from those for people with moderate and severe ID. It remains unclear how XR technologies are used for people with moderate to severe ID. OBJECTIVE: The study we present in this paper aimed to explore what is known from the existing scientific literature about XR-based interventions for supporting people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, including the features of XR content and technology that is used and factors that may impact implementation. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review, searching Cinahl, PubMed, LibSearch, and Google Scholar based on inclusion and exclusion criteria ensuring the focus on XR and moderate to severe ID. We adopted a qualitative content analysis approach to review the papers resulting from the search. RESULTS: In total, we included 16 papers in the review. Most of these focused on XR-based interventions to improve specific skills, such as navigation and daily living skills, in order to increase autonomy and independence. We found a large variety in the content and technology used in these interventions as well as in factors that the authors found to affect the implementation. These factors concern characteristics of users, of caregivers or facilitators, and of the XR environments and systems. The majority of the papers reported studies with small sample sizes, and lacked control groups and follow-up periods to measure long-term effects of XR. CONCLUSIONS: The use of XR for people with moderate to severe ID is an emerging field. Although many authors of the reviewed studies do acknowledge the potential of XR, further evidence is needed. Future research might explore the potential of XR as leisure activity, and might study in detail how features of the XR environment impact behaviour to inform professionals about how to approach their use of XR in order to meet the needs and preferences of people with moderate and severe ID.
{"title":"The use of extensive reality (XR) for people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (ID): A scoping review","authors":"Patricia Laura Maran, Ramon Daniëls, K. Slegers","doi":"10.3233/tad-210363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210363","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: New technologies have made rapid advances in the field of assistive technologies (AT), with Extended Reality (XR) offering promising results in supporting people with mild intellectual disabilities (ID). Yet, the design and goals of programs for people with mild ID may differ from those for people with moderate and severe ID. It remains unclear how XR technologies are used for people with moderate to severe ID. OBJECTIVE: The study we present in this paper aimed to explore what is known from the existing scientific literature about XR-based interventions for supporting people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, including the features of XR content and technology that is used and factors that may impact implementation. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review, searching Cinahl, PubMed, LibSearch, and Google Scholar based on inclusion and exclusion criteria ensuring the focus on XR and moderate to severe ID. We adopted a qualitative content analysis approach to review the papers resulting from the search. RESULTS: In total, we included 16 papers in the review. Most of these focused on XR-based interventions to improve specific skills, such as navigation and daily living skills, in order to increase autonomy and independence. We found a large variety in the content and technology used in these interventions as well as in factors that the authors found to affect the implementation. These factors concern characteristics of users, of caregivers or facilitators, and of the XR environments and systems. The majority of the papers reported studies with small sample sizes, and lacked control groups and follow-up periods to measure long-term effects of XR. CONCLUSIONS: The use of XR for people with moderate to severe ID is an emerging field. Although many authors of the reviewed studies do acknowledge the potential of XR, further evidence is needed. Future research might explore the potential of XR as leisure activity, and might study in detail how features of the XR environment impact behaviour to inform professionals about how to approach their use of XR in order to meet the needs and preferences of people with moderate and severe ID.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46103427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Deepti Ahuja, A. Sarkar, Sushil Chandra, Programme Kumar
BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner the intervention therapy can begin, thus, making early diagnosis an important research goal. Technological innovations have tremendous potential to assist with early diagnosis and improve intervention programs. There is a limited understanding of the Wearable Technologies (WTs) currently available for autistic individuals, and how they measure functioning in this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to identify advancement in wearable technologies used to monitor behavioral and physiological responses in the intervention of children with ASD. METHODS: A literature search was performed for English language articles and conference papers indexed in Science direct, PubMed, Web of science, Google scholar, ERIC, ProQuest and Cochrane in last five years (2017–2021), resulting in eighteen studies being reviewed. RESULTS: Wearable technology present a potential solution that can support and complement existing interventions. WTs measured a range of physiological and behavioural functions to objectively measure stereotypical motor movements, social function, communication, and emotion regulation in autistic youth in the context of a range of environments and activities. CONCLUSIONS: Advancement in technology that include behavioral and physiological response monitoring with wearable sensors provide the opportunity to acquire new understanding of the internal components of observable behavior of children with ASD. This could lead to better individualization of treatment and greater treatment effectiveness.
背景：自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的特点是社交困难、社交互动和重复行为。诊断越早，干预治疗就越早开始，因此，早期诊断成为一个重要的研究目标。技术创新在帮助早期诊断和改进干预计划方面具有巨大潜力。对于目前可用于自闭症患者的可穿戴技术（WT），以及它们如何衡量这一人群的功能，了解有限。目的：本综述的目的是确定可穿戴技术在ASD儿童干预中用于监测行为和生理反应的进展。方法：对过去五年（2017-2021）在Science direct、PubMed、Web of Science、Google scholar、ERIC、ProQuest和Cochrane上索引的英文文章和会议论文进行文献检索，共有18项研究被综述。结果：可穿戴技术提供了一种潜在的解决方案，可以支持和补充现有的干预措施。WT测量了一系列生理和行为功能，以客观地测量自闭症青年在一系列环境和活动中的刻板运动、社会功能、沟通和情绪调节。结论：包括使用可穿戴传感器进行行为和生理反应监测在内的技术的进步，为对ASD儿童可观察行为的内部组成部分有新的了解提供了机会。这可以导致更好的个性化治疗和更大的治疗效果。
{"title":"Wearable technology for monitoring behavioral and physiological responses in children with autism spectrum disorder: A literature review","authors":"Deepti Ahuja, A. Sarkar, Sushil Chandra, Programme Kumar","doi":"10.3233/tad-210349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210349","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by difficulties in social communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. The earlier the diagnosis, the sooner the intervention therapy can begin, thus, making early diagnosis an important research goal. Technological innovations have tremendous potential to assist with early diagnosis and improve intervention programs. There is a limited understanding of the Wearable Technologies (WTs) currently available for autistic individuals, and how they measure functioning in this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review is to identify advancement in wearable technologies used to monitor behavioral and physiological responses in the intervention of children with ASD. METHODS: A literature search was performed for English language articles and conference papers indexed in Science direct, PubMed, Web of science, Google scholar, ERIC, ProQuest and Cochrane in last five years (2017–2021), resulting in eighteen studies being reviewed. RESULTS: Wearable technology present a potential solution that can support and complement existing interventions. WTs measured a range of physiological and behavioural functions to objectively measure stereotypical motor movements, social function, communication, and emotion regulation in autistic youth in the context of a range of environments and activities. CONCLUSIONS: Advancement in technology that include behavioral and physiological response monitoring with wearable sensors provide the opportunity to acquire new understanding of the internal components of observable behavior of children with ASD. This could lead to better individualization of treatment and greater treatment effectiveness.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46172565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: People with physical disabilities are far less active than recommended, but many are motivated for cycling on a tailor-made tricycle. OBJECTIVE: Does the acquisition of an adapted tricycle lead to better cycling outcomes, and are there differences associated with the application procedure? METHODS: An observational study was conducted with cohorts of participants applying for an adapted leg-driven tricycle via rehabilitation centres or local therapists. Questionnaires were answered electronically before applying and after having had the opportunity to use the new tricycle for at least 3 weeks. Non-parametric analyses were conducted in SPSS. RESULTS: Fifty participants (54% women) aged 5–79 years (M = 31.5) with diverse disabilities responded. Forty-seven participants (94%) used their tricycle. Results showed a significant positive change in cycling frequency, cycling performance and satisfaction with cycling (p< 0.01). The group of participants who applied at a Healthsports Centre reported higher performance and satisfaction with cycling both after testing them (pre-test) and after having used their new tricycles for some weeks (post-test). CONCLUSIONS: Acquisition of an adapted tricycle led to a higher amount of cycling, better cycling performance and higher satisfaction with cycling. The highest scores were seen among those who apply via a Healthsports Centre.
{"title":"Acquiring a tailor-made tricycle: Implications for people with disabilities","authors":"Berit Gjessing, A. Nyquist, R. Jahnsen","doi":"10.3233/tad-210343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210343","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: People with physical disabilities are far less active than recommended, but many are motivated for cycling on a tailor-made tricycle. OBJECTIVE: Does the acquisition of an adapted tricycle lead to better cycling outcomes, and are there differences associated with the application procedure? METHODS: An observational study was conducted with cohorts of participants applying for an adapted leg-driven tricycle via rehabilitation centres or local therapists. Questionnaires were answered electronically before applying and after having had the opportunity to use the new tricycle for at least 3 weeks. Non-parametric analyses were conducted in SPSS. RESULTS: Fifty participants (54% women) aged 5–79 years (M = 31.5) with diverse disabilities responded. Forty-seven participants (94%) used their tricycle. Results showed a significant positive change in cycling frequency, cycling performance and satisfaction with cycling (p< 0.01). The group of participants who applied at a Healthsports Centre reported higher performance and satisfaction with cycling both after testing them (pre-test) and after having used their new tricycles for some weeks (post-test). CONCLUSIONS: Acquisition of an adapted tricycle led to a higher amount of cycling, better cycling performance and higher satisfaction with cycling. The highest scores were seen among those who apply via a Healthsports Centre.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2022-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45456749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BACKGROUND: College and university websites in the United States are legally required to meet accessibility standards to promote equal opportunity in education for blind and visually disabled students. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the recognized standard for website accessibility. OBJECTIVE: Determine how satisfied blind and visually disabled college and university students are with college and university websites in California, and whether compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is a good predictor of that satisfaction. METHODS: A random sample of websites from California colleges and universities was evaluated for accessibility compliance. A stratified sample of six websites was taken from the initial sample. Thirty blind or visually disabled students performed a prescribed series of tasks on each of the six websites, then answered a Likert-format survey regarding their satisfaction with each website. RESULTS: Sixty-three percent of websites did not meet the first priority accessibility criteria. Participant responses showed a majority were satisfied with websites, both compliant and non-compliant, and a strong correlation between satisfaction and accessibility compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Despite legal requirements, a majority or large minority of college and university websites in California do not meet accessibility guidelines, indicating a significant opportunity to improve the accessibility of those websites.
{"title":"Satisfaction of visually disabled users with California educational websites","authors":"Elizabeth Keavney","doi":"10.3233/tad-210357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210357","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: College and university websites in the United States are legally required to meet accessibility standards to promote equal opportunity in education for blind and visually disabled students. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are the recognized standard for website accessibility. OBJECTIVE: Determine how satisfied blind and visually disabled college and university students are with college and university websites in California, and whether compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines is a good predictor of that satisfaction. METHODS: A random sample of websites from California colleges and universities was evaluated for accessibility compliance. A stratified sample of six websites was taken from the initial sample. Thirty blind or visually disabled students performed a prescribed series of tasks on each of the six websites, then answered a Likert-format survey regarding their satisfaction with each website. RESULTS: Sixty-three percent of websites did not meet the first priority accessibility criteria. Participant responses showed a majority were satisfied with websites, both compliant and non-compliant, and a strong correlation between satisfaction and accessibility compliance. CONCLUSIONS: Despite legal requirements, a majority or large minority of college and university websites in California do not meet accessibility guidelines, indicating a significant opportunity to improve the accessibility of those websites.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48928217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lukas Wohofsky, Philip Scharf, S. Lattacher, D. Krainer
BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disorder with increasing prevalence rates. People affected by ASD do often need support in various activities of daily living mainly provided by formal or informal caregivers. Assistive technology can help to increase autonomy and safety of people on the autism spectrum and thus decrease the burden of care. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the state of the art of assistive technology (AT) that supports autonomy, self-reliance comfort and wellbeing of people with ASD or aiming to prevent dangerous situations or shutdowns, caused by stressful (environmental) situations. Another aim is to analyze the fields of application and type of the proposed technologies and to explore the evaluations conducted. METHODS: A scoping review was carried out where the databases MEDLINE, IEEE and ACM Digital Library were searched. The identified articles were grouped according to the objective of the technology – the supported area of life that is assisted by the proposed systems. Furthermore, the conducted evaluations of the ATs in the papers were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 40 articles were included in this review with a balanced distribution in the different fields of application (Communication & Social Life; Daily Living Assistants; Safety & Security). Eighteen studies conducted an evaluation of the proposed technology with people with ASD, mainly testing the functionality of the systems. CONCLUSION: The proposed technologies support people in the autism spectrum according to the main outcomes and symptoms of ASD. Further research is needed to determine the usefulness and acceptance of the ATs.
{"title":"Assistive technology to support people with autism spectrum disorder in their autonomy and safety: A scoping review","authors":"Lukas Wohofsky, Philip Scharf, S. Lattacher, D. Krainer","doi":"10.3233/tad-210355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210355","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong developmental disorder with increasing prevalence rates. People affected by ASD do often need support in various activities of daily living mainly provided by formal or informal caregivers. Assistive technology can help to increase autonomy and safety of people on the autism spectrum and thus decrease the burden of care. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the state of the art of assistive technology (AT) that supports autonomy, self-reliance comfort and wellbeing of people with ASD or aiming to prevent dangerous situations or shutdowns, caused by stressful (environmental) situations. Another aim is to analyze the fields of application and type of the proposed technologies and to explore the evaluations conducted. METHODS: A scoping review was carried out where the databases MEDLINE, IEEE and ACM Digital Library were searched. The identified articles were grouped according to the objective of the technology – the supported area of life that is assisted by the proposed systems. Furthermore, the conducted evaluations of the ATs in the papers were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 40 articles were included in this review with a balanced distribution in the different fields of application (Communication & Social Life; Daily Living Assistants; Safety & Security). Eighteen studies conducted an evaluation of the proposed technology with people with ASD, mainly testing the functionality of the systems. CONCLUSION: The proposed technologies support people in the autism spectrum according to the main outcomes and symptoms of ASD. Further research is needed to determine the usefulness and acceptance of the ATs.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47622297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Renée J. F. van den Heuvel, Rianne Jansens, B. Littler, C. Huijnen, Alessandro Di Nuovo, Andrea Bonarini, L. Desideri, Pedro Encarnação, A. Lekova, L. D. de Witte
BACKGROUND: Rapid technological development has been opening new possibilities for children with disabilities. In particular, robots can enable and create new opportunities in therapy, rehabilitation, education, or leisure. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to share experiences, challenges and learned lessons by the authors, all of them with experience conducting research in the field of robotics for children with disabilities, and to propose future directions for research and development. METHODS: The article is the result of several consensus meetings to establish future research priorities in this field. RESULTS: Robots have a huge potential to support children with disabilities: they can play the role of a play buddy, of a mediator when interacting with other children or adults, they can promote social interaction, and transfer children from the role of a spectator of the surrounding world to the role of an active participant. To fulfill their potential, robots have to be “smart”, stable and reliable, easy to use and program, and give the just-right amount of support adapted to the needs of the child. Interdisciplinary collaboration combined with user centered design is necessary to make robotic applications successful. Furthermore, real-life contexts to test and implement robotic interventions are essential to refine them according to real needs. CONCLUSIONS: This article outlines a research agenda for the future of robotics in childcare and supports the establishment of R4C – Robots for Children, a network of experts aimed at sharing ideas, promoting innovative research, and developing good practices on the use of robots for children with disabilities.
{"title":"The potential of robotics for the development and wellbeing of children with disabilities as we see it","authors":"Renée J. F. van den Heuvel, Rianne Jansens, B. Littler, C. Huijnen, Alessandro Di Nuovo, Andrea Bonarini, L. Desideri, Pedro Encarnação, A. Lekova, L. D. de Witte","doi":"10.3233/tad-210346","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3233/tad-210346","url":null,"abstract":"BACKGROUND: Rapid technological development has been opening new possibilities for children with disabilities. In particular, robots can enable and create new opportunities in therapy, rehabilitation, education, or leisure. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to share experiences, challenges and learned lessons by the authors, all of them with experience conducting research in the field of robotics for children with disabilities, and to propose future directions for research and development. METHODS: The article is the result of several consensus meetings to establish future research priorities in this field. RESULTS: Robots have a huge potential to support children with disabilities: they can play the role of a play buddy, of a mediator when interacting with other children or adults, they can promote social interaction, and transfer children from the role of a spectator of the surrounding world to the role of an active participant. To fulfill their potential, robots have to be “smart”, stable and reliable, easy to use and program, and give the just-right amount of support adapted to the needs of the child. Interdisciplinary collaboration combined with user centered design is necessary to make robotic applications successful. Furthermore, real-life contexts to test and implement robotic interventions are essential to refine them according to real needs. CONCLUSIONS: This article outlines a research agenda for the future of robotics in childcare and supports the establishment of R4C – Robots for Children, a network of experts aimed at sharing ideas, promoting innovative research, and developing good practices on the use of robots for children with disabilities.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46126353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
“Science Dissemination for the Disabled" is a noteworthy topic which is still sparse. In order to increase interest in the study of science and on access to research without exclusion emphasis needs to be paid towards innovation within a scientific environment. We describe some issues on the use of open digital technologies available at Scientific Fablabs to support education and scientific know-how for all. Our hope is to encourage further consideration by the scientific community and present strategies that promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
{"title":"Science and Inclusion","authors":"E. Canessa, C. Fonda","doi":"10.35542/osf.io/b8stw","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/b8stw","url":null,"abstract":"“Science Dissemination for the Disabled\" is a noteworthy topic which is still sparse. In order to increase interest in the study of science and on access to research without exclusion emphasis needs to be paid towards innovation within a scientific environment. We describe some issues on the use of open digital technologies available at Scientific Fablabs to support education and scientific know-how for all. Our hope is to encourage further consideration by the scientific community and present strategies that promote the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society.","PeriodicalId":22201,"journal":{"name":"Technology and Disability","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2021-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48808120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：