An Approach to Empathic Design for Assistive Technology

The levels of income and employment rates of people with disabilities are often lower than those without them. An effective way to free disabled people from these circumstances would be to design proper job accommodation for them. Ordinarily, physical conditions severely restrict their ability to carry out their work efficiently unless they have are provided with appropriately designed assistive technology (AT). However, due to the physical conditions unique to each disabled person, understanding the requirements of a disabled person is often a challenge to an AT designer. The aims of this research were to develop a design model for an empathy tool that would assist in the process of designing AT for job accommodation, and to explore the relationship between the use of empathy tools and the improvement of design elements in job accommodation AT. The design models employed were developed by analysing interviews with AT users and examining the results of observations and a literature review. The model was then used to build an empathy tool to be used in designing job accommodation AT for a selected subject; the empathy tools were used in a series of assessments of designer users. The results show that, when compared with tools used in traditional design briefs, empathy tools can successfully help designers to improve design elements in terms, respectively, of their understanding of users’ physical abilities (22 per cent), work requirements (26.6 per cent), ergonomic requirements (22.8 per cent), and environment characteristics (21.4 per cent). Meanwhile, it is difficult for the tool to improve upon other design elements, about which one must learn by gaining design experience

Understanding the Learning Experiences and Attitudes Related to the Academic Performance and Success of High School Students with Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the academic performance and progress of students with disabilities at a high school in the Northeastern United States. The theory guiding this study was Maslow’s hierarchy of needs since it captures the benefits of meeting all learners’ fundamental and unique set of needs to motivate them to self-actualize or realize their full potential. A transcendental phenomenology method was used for this study. Twelve students with disabilities served as participants, and data were collected through interviews, a focus group, and an open-ended questionnaire. The study utilized qualitative data analysis techniques to gain a deep understanding of how the school supports disabled students in the high school setting. This involved examining, theorizing, situating, and integrating the data to establish a comprehensive understanding of the school\u27s strategies for motivating disabled students. Four themes emerged through data analysis using Moustakas’s modified method of analysis in this study and include (a) impact of accommodations on learning, (b) challenges and barriers to effective accommodation, (c) role of self-advocacy and independence, and (d) social and emotional well-being. These themes corresponded to the theoretical framework of the study. This study confirmed Maslow’s theory through participants’ lived experiences as students learning with disabilities. Students experienced success when their needs were met through support and accommodations

Identifying Five Archetypes of Interaction Design Professionals and Their Universal Design Expertise

Systems and services based on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are now prevalent in our daily lives. Digital transformations have been, and are still being, initiated across private and public sectors. As such, the consequences of digital exclusion are severe and may block access to key aspects of modern life, such as education, employment, consumerism and health services. In order to combat this, regions and countries such as the USA, Canada, EU and Scandinavia have all legislated universal design (UD) in relation to ICT, in order to ensure as many citizens as possible have the opportunity to access and use digital information and services. However, there has been limited research into how higher educational programs address legislated accessibility responsibilities. This paper looks into the discipline of interaction design (IxD). IxD is the design domain focused on ‘how human beings relate to other human beings through the mediating influence of products’ (Buchanan, R. (2001) Designing research and the new learning. Des. Issues, 17, 3–23). The study presents an analysis of Norwegian higher educational programs within IxD. Based on document analysis, we map the skillsets the study programs state to deliver and investigate to what degree UD expertise is included. Our findings indicate the study programs do not deliver adequate training in UD, in order to fulfill the professional responsibilities related to ICT accessibility. From our findings, we extrapolate five ‘archetypes’ of interaction designers. These personas-like analytical constructs hold slightly different characteristics. For each of the five, we propose UD expertise fitting key skillsets. We hope our contributions are useful both for the higher education sector and the industry and will contribute to raised awareness of UD skills so they can educate interaction designers in their different industry roles with required competences.acceptedVersio

An Introductory Online Interactive Training to Disability Etiquette and Protocol to Promote Inclusion

Study abroad is a privilege and an opportunity of a lifetime that not many individuals take full advantage of. Many factors can contribute towards a student’s decision to not study abroad, including but not limited to: finances, academic coursework, family concerns, and not being able to graduate on time. A topic rarely discussed is disclosing medical information. While the amount of students studying abroad is increasing every year, a significant amount of underrepresented minorities desire to embark on that journey of study abroad as well. Unfortunately, advisers are not always well equipped with adequate knowledge of resources. Outdated terminology and language can unintentionally ostracize and even further exclude students, especially students with disabilities. Faculty, staff, and students around the country have contacted our organization about inclusive practices, what terminology to use to advise better, and how to make their own materials more accessible to everyone. Literature reviews, personal experience, and online scholarly research has shown that the following can increase underrepresented minorities participation in study abroad: self confidence, preparation, a positive attitude, flexibility, patience, cultural understanding, willingness to learn and being uncomfortable. These factors can help students (with and without disabilities) take that leap of faith to pursue study abroad to further educate themselves personally and professionally. This capstone paper outlines a need for a Moodle designed online interactive training not only to promote inclusive practices, but to help study abroad advisers be more open minded to change and indirect with students to help them gain a basic understanding for the need of international and cultural educational exchange

HEARING IMPAIRED AND LEADERSHIP: STRUGGLES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS IN THE WORKPLACE

With the passing of federal legislations such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Americans believe all issues relating to disability have been addressed. While Americans with disabilities gained civil rights under these two federal laws and educational opportunities have expanded, they are still struggling against the stigma of disability. They encounter many barriers as they enter the workplace and navigate toward leadership roles in their organizations. This narrative phenomenological qualitative study seeks to understand the experiences of individuals with hearing loss as they enter and navigate through their careers. Its purpose is to gain knowledge on the barriers encountered in the workplace and to identify opportunities to implement new strategies to open leadership opportunities for individuals with hearing loss. This study provides stories from five professionals who have worked in different field such as academia, law, finance, and tech industry. Data for this study were collected through online interviews with five participants. Key findings arose from the interviews with the participants, identifying three main themes. The first is a hearing-impaired self-image and personal experiences with their hearing loss. The second is their experiences in their organization (through the orientation process, the organization’s policies toward employees, the hierarchy, and opportunities to become leaders). The third theme is their interactions with colleagues and leaders that impact their career opportunities. This study calls for the recognition of the social and economic barriers individuals with hearing loss face and the need for changes in organizational policies to open leadership opportunities for them. iv This dissertation, written under the direction of the candidate’s dissertation committee and approved by the members of the committee, has been presented to and accepted by the Faculty of the School of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. The content and research methodologies presented in this work represent the work of the candidate alone

Accessible and Inclusive Online Course Design in Higher Education

The growth of online learning has expanded the reach of higher education to more diverse students than ever before; however, students often face barriers to equitable access to online instructional materials, course activities, and assessments. The challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners was both highlighted and exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid shift to remote teaching and learning at many institutions. Disabled students were one group that was particularly affected. Research has explored faculty and students’ (with and without disabilities) perceptions of online learning; however, less is known about instructional designers’ and their team leaders’ roles and perceptions of inclusive online course design. We posit that instructional designers are well-positioned to lead the charge in designing accessible and inclusive online courses that will better serve disabled students. Thus, this article-based dissertation presents three studies focused on accessible and inclusive online learning. Chapter one will introduce the research space and elaborate on the issues of accessible and inclusive online course design in higher education and the role that instructional designers and their team leaders play. Chapter two will present a literature review on accessible and inclusive online course design in higher education. The themes and gaps that emerged from the literature review led to the proposal of two qualitative studies. Chapter three is a qualitative exploration of online learning leaders’ (i.e., those who lead teams of instructional designers) perceptions of accessible and inclusive online learning. Leaders provided insight into the institutional and systemic barriers impacting instructional designers’ ability to collaborate in the creation of accessible and inclusive online learning experiences. Chapter four is a qualitative study focusing on instructional designers’ experiences, perceptions, and knowledge and skills related to accessible and inclusive online course design. These studies, when taken together, are intended to fill the gap in the literature about instructional design teams’ current and potential role in ensuring that diverse learners can effectively access, participate, and feel a sense of belonging in online higher education. Chapter five provides a synthesis of the findings from the three studies, explores the scholarly significance, and presents areas for future research

Designing and Evaluating Accessible E-Learning for Students with Visual Impairments in K-12 Computing Education

This dissertation explores the pathways for making K-12 computing education more accessible for blind or visually impaired (BVI) learners. As computer science (CS) expands into K-12 education, more concerted efforts are required to ensure all students have equitable access to opportunities to pursue a career in computing. To determine their viability with BVI learners, I conducted three studies to assess current accessibility in CS curricula, materials, and learning environments. Study one was interviews with visually impaired developers; study two was interviews with K-12 teachers of visually impaired students; study three was a remote observation within a computer science course. My exploration revealed that most of CS education lacks the necessary accommodations for BVI students to learn at an equitable pace with sighted students. However, electronic learning (e-learning) was a theme that showed to provide the most accessible learning experience for BVI students, although even there, usability and accessibility challenges were present in online learning platforms. My dissertation engaged in a human-centered approach across three studies towards designing, developing, and evaluating an online learning management system (LMS) with the critical design elements to improve navigation and interaction with BVI users. Study one was a survey exploring the perception of readiness for taking online courses between sighted and visually impaired students. The findings from the survey fueled study two, which employed participatory design with storytelling with K-12 teachers and BVI students to learn more about their experiences using LMSs and how they imagine such systems to be more accessible. The findings led to developing the accessible learning content management system (ALCMS), a web-based platform for managing courses, course content, and course roster, evaluated in study three with high school students, both sighted and visually impaired, to determine its usability and accessibility. This research contributes with recommendations for including features and design elements to improve accessibility in existing LMSs and building new ones

How Virtual Work Environments Convey Perceptual Cues to Foster Shared Intentionality During Covid-19 for Blind and Partially Sighted Employees

The Covid-19 pandemic altered workplaces. For those with ‘office jobs,’ this meant working ‘virtually,’ or remotely, from home. This transition forced organizations and workplaces to exercise flexibility, adapt workflows and rely on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to work remotely. However, Blind and Partially Sighted Individuals (BPSI) face challenges accessing work digitally, setting up their home offices, financing assistive devices, equipment and software, remote communications and employer support (Ginley, 2020). In response, with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), this Major Research Project (MRP) reports on the results of a longitudinal participatory design study investigating the impact of working and training over a distance for BPSI. This study found evidence of assumptions about BPSI, stigma, how effectively ICTs transmit perceptual cues and a physical environment bias where accessibility practices defaulted to the brick-and-mortar workspace. What emerged is a model to assist in understanding how ICTs synchronize experiences for the construction of shared intentionality in virtual work environments. Shared intentionality, the capacity to engage with others in cooperative activities with joint goals and intentions (Tomasello, 2005; Schweikard and Schmid, 2020), was a powerful way to interpret the disparities that BPSI faced as a result of the physical-to-virtual work environment transition. The model is composed of three dimensions: Spatial-topological synchrony is the degree to which spatial perceptual cues, such as through video, spatial audio, or haptics, offer implicit cues, such as gestures, body location, or visual-spatial representations (e.g. diagrams); temporal synchrony is the degree to which real-time interactions clarify intentions; mutual knowledge is the degree to which diverse perspectives facilitate the joint construction of new knowledge and practices. The implications of this model could be significant, as it aids understanding what is lost and gained when transitioning to virtual work environments; this could inform the design of ICTs, organizational policies, training and education, and culture shifts in the workplace in regards to accessibility

The Experiences of Students with Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study of Postsecondary Students in Ghana

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to examine the lived experiences of students with disabilities at Golden Technical Institute (a pseudonym) in the eastern belt of Ghana. The theories guiding this study were Hosking’s critical disability theory and Tinto’s student persistence theory. This study sought to understand postsecondary students with disabilities’ social and academic experiences and institutional and personal factors that impact persistence. Transcendental phenomenological research approach was employed to understand how students with disabilities experience the phenomenon under the study. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select participants. Twelve participants took part in this research. Data were collected through personal interviews, focus group discussion, and prompt letter. I made sense of the text collected from interviews, focus group discussion, and prompt letter. I built detailed descriptions, applied codes, and developed themes. The five themes that emerged from this study include learning, relationship and interaction, social influence, institutional factors, and determination and perseverance. This research revealed both positive and negative interactions among participants, instructors, and peers