A Real Grand Challenge: Designing Technologies for College Students with Disabilities Katherine Deibel University of Washington April 6, 2010 Grinnell College

WAS ROBBED!!!!

She has worse dirt on me. Funny Janet Stories April 6, Grinnell College

What are Grand Challenges? Prevent nuclear terror Engineer better medicines Access to clean water Manage the nitrogen cycle Secure cyberspace Advance health informatics Restore and improve urban infrastructure Make solar energy economical Provide energy from fusion Reverse-engineer the brain Advance personalized learning Carbon sequestration methods Engineer tools of scientific discovery April 6, Grinnell College Federally-recognized critical problems Funding opportunities (NAE, DARPA, NSF, etc.) National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges:

Disability, accessibility, and assistive technologies are critical issues deserving of attention and effort. Why Not Disability? April 6, Grinnell College

“…the many challenges faced by designers of “technologies for college students with disabilities and “will discuss who the user population is, what they “experience, and what policies that shape supporting “them. Design approaches like universal design and “inclusive pedagogy will be discussed. Most “importantly, identifying when technology is not the “answer will be covered. Although this talk will apply to “all disabilities, specific focus will be given to reading “disabilities.” Original Talk Abstract April 6, Grinnell College

Introduction to Disabilities Statistics Among college students Approaches Accommodations Universal design Inclusive pedagogy Example assistive technology projects Open Issues This Talk April 6, Grinnell College

Immobility Excessive sarcasm Blindness Learning disabilities Deafness Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Dyslexia ADD/HD Chronic health Psychological conditions Q: What are examples of disabilities? April 6, Grinnell College

In the US (according to one study): 16% of ages 15 to 64 is disabled 10% of the workforce is disabled 5% of the STEM workforce is disabled 1% of PhDs in STEM are disabled Disability digital divide (another study): 20% report having a disability or chronic condition 51% of disabled go online 74% of not disabled go online Cause: Barriers to access and use of technology Disability Statistics April 6, Grinnell College Sources: Ladner CSEP590A Talk (2008), Pew Internet Study “E-patients With a Disability or Chronic Disease”

Aging Population Bubble April 6, Grinnell College

Increased enrollments (entering freshmen) 2.3%(1978) 9.8% (1998) Estimates of 4-year undergraduates with disabilities 10.6% (2004) 11.3%(2003) Disabilities Among College Students April 6, Grinnell College Sources: Scott et al, 2003; NSF ; NCES

ADD/HD LDs Chronic health issues Q: Disabilities among college students? April 6, Grinnell College

Disabilities Among College Students April 6, 2010Grinnell College 14 Learning 55% Mental/Emotional 10% Health 6% Other 5% Mobility 12% Speech 1% Visual 5% Hearing 6% Disabilities of Students Registered with Disability Services at 4-year U.S. Universities in Sources: NCES Report

Legal obligation Individual with Disabilities Education Act (K-12) Americans with Disabilities Act (18+) Process: Individual provides proof of disability Individual requests disability accommodations through proper channels Negotiation for reasonable accommodations Agreed upon accommodations must be complied with exactly as described (no more, no less) Accommodations April 6, Grinnell College

Any limitations to the accommodation approach? Q: Accommodation Approach? April 6, Grinnell College

Reacts only to when problems arise Requires complex registration process Viewed by some as unfair / inequitable Only supports those who are registered Problems with Accommodations April 6, Grinnell College

Reasons for not registering with disability services? Q: Disabilities and Registration April 6, Grinnell College

Cost of registration / confirmation / diagnosis Stigma / ridicule / negative past experiences Unaware of eligibility / disability status Not eligible for accommodations Easier to self-accommodate No appropriate accommodations Accommodations are not helpful Accommodations not possible Disabilities and Registration April 6, Grinnell College

Kindle accessibility features Print enlargement Text-to-speech Realities of text-to-speech Poor speech quality (not upgradeable) Limited effectiveness Has to be permitted by publishers (audiobook copyright controversy) Requires sight to turn on / configure speech tools Arizona State University lawsuit Ended pilot program Kindle and Access April 6, Grinnell College

Support all people of all abilities in all situations Build accommodations into regular practices Minimizes accommodation requests Proactive instead of reactive Focus on all forms of disabilities Provide benefits for all users regardless of disability Approaches Universal Design Inclusive Education Proactive Approach to Accommodations April 6, Grinnell College

Preemptively identify and address potential accessibility issues Example: Wheelchair ramps Easier and cheaper to include at construction time Fit into flow of building instead of as an add-on Better aesthetics Most common users of ramps: PARENTS WITH STROLLERS Universal Design April 6, Grinnell College

Preemptively identify and address potential accessibility issues Example: Well-structured XHTML/CSS Easy to parse / manipulate Easier to maintain (no separate accessible page) More likely to meet basic accessibility standards Universal Design April 6, Grinnell College

Does universal design mean that blind people should be able to drive cars? Critique by Alan Newell Spend a few minutes at the beginning presenting an engineering puzzle to the audience: You have to make a web browser accessible to someone who can only type with their big toe, and has lost fine motor control over their legs. Reviewer’s comment about an accessibility panel Universal Design: Criticisms April 6, Grinnell College

Universal design is an ideal principle Work towards achieving it Keep within reason What is reasonable? Know and follow basic accessibility standards Be aware of who the relevant user population is Identify likely barriers based on population Universal Design: Reality April 6, Grinnell College

Universal design applied to teaching Implementation in college: Build accommodations into teaching practices Minimize need for accommodation requests Basic approaches: Maintain classroom artifacts Acknowledge different learning styles Write and say, say and write Note minimal role of technology Inclusive Teaching April 6, Grinnell College

Recognize inaccessible but valuable approaches Example: Diagrams in Data Structures Powerful for understanding pointers Great debugging tool Not accessible to the blind / visually-impaired Inclusive teaching approach: Still teach diagrams and notion of Provide alternatives when needed Physical manipulation (pipe cleaners and styrofoam) Acoustic mapping of diagrams (Plumb) Inclusive Teaching April 6, Grinnell College

What is assistive technology design like? Enough High-Level! April 6, Grinnell College

Susumu Harada Using one’s voice to control a mouse Vocal Joystick / VoiceDraw April 6, Grinnell College

Calico: Reading Tools Support (my work) April 6, 2010Grinnell College 30 Diversity in reading disabilities Need for diverse set of tools Too many tools

Calico: Reading Tools Support (my work) April 6, 2010Grinnell College 31 Mimic disability professional’s knowledge via AI diagnosis and recommendation techniques

EdgeWrite Text Entry April 6, 2010Grinnell College 32 Jacob Wobbrock Text entry for people with motor difficulties PDAs Trackballs Etc. Simple solution: Edges limit stylus movement

WebAnywhere April 6, 2010Grinnell College 33 Jeff Bigham Web-based screen reader Free to use Runs on any machine Works in the browser

Awareness of disability / accessibility issues? DO-IT Advocate at home / locally Assistive technology limitations Small consumer base / Lack of industry awareness Expensive software Homegrown solutions not always communicated Need for open-source, free platforms for development Optical character recognition Document conversion tools Open Issues April 6, Grinnell College

Acknowledgments: Grinnell College, Janet Davis, Henry Walker, Karen McRitchie, Ken Yasuhara, Jeff Bigham, Susumu Harada, Richard Ladner, Jacob Wobbrock For more information, please contact Kate Deibel Thanks April 7, Grinnell College Questions? Comments?