The development of assistive courseware for young low vision learners based on multiple intelligence theory

This paper reports an ongoing study regarding the development of Assistive Courseware (AC) which specifically designed catering to the needs of low vision learners in learning activities. Previous literatures state that most of the available digital interactive learning content means too little to them, particularly in terms of content presentation. Therefore, this study solves the problem by developing an assistive courseware (AC), which is named as AC for Low Vision Learners (AC4LV). The AC was developed by utilizing Multiple Intelligence (MI) theory as guidance. In addition, three basic steps, which are pre-production, production, and post-production have been utilized in developing the AC. As a result, an AC4LV based on MI theory was successfully produced. Future works of this study is to test the experience of using AC4LV among the low vision learners in terms of it usefulness.Keywords: interaction design; child-computer interaction; assistive technology; low vision; multiple intelligence theor

Equality - Focus on Sport, Football and Inclusivity

This edition contains features on: • LimbPower – new status as a National Disability Sports Organisation • Football and inclusivity - Dr Dan Parnell • Games Starters volunteering opportunity at the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association’s World Games in 2015 • Sporting Equals - Boxing in Mosques • A selection of recent information • A brief look at some local work • Calendar of forthcoming event

Exploring asymmetric roles in mixed-ability gaming

Tese de mestrado, Informática, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2020Noticeably, the majority of mainstreamgames — digitalgames and tabletopgames — are still designed for players with a standard set of abilities. As such, people with someformof disability, oftenface insurmountable challengestoplay mainstreamgames or are limited to playgames specifcally designed for them. By conducting an initial study, we share multiplayer gaming experiences of people with visual impairments collected from interviews with 10 adults and 10 minors, and 140 responses to an online survey. We include the perspectives of 17 sighted people who play with someone who has a visual impairment, collected in a second online survey. We found that people with visual impairments are playingdiversegames,butface limitationsin playing with others who have different visual abilities. What stood out is the lack of intersection ingaming opportunities, and consequently, in habits and interests of people with different visual abilities. In this study, we highlight barriers associated with these experiences beyond inaccessibility issues and discuss implications and opportunities for the design of mixed-abilitygaming.Asexpected,we foundaworrying absenceofgames that caterto different abilities. In this context, we explored ability-based asymmetric roles as a design approach to create engaging and challenging mixed-ability play. We designed and developed two collaborative testbedgamesexploring asymmetric interdependent roles. In a remote study with 13 mixed-visual-ability pairs we assessed how roles affected perceptions of engagement, competence, and autonomy, using a mixed-methods approach. The games provided an engaging and challenging experience, in which differences in visual ability were not limiting. Our results underline how experiences unequal by design can give rise to an equitable joint experience

The benefits of media in learning: case studies of blind learners of English as L2

Media have a large impact on peoples’ lives, and an especially high influence in learning and learning processes. Exposure to English through media can have multiple benefits for language learning, however, the question we are interested in is: Considering that media are a platform predominately geared towards the sighted, does language acquisition through media apply to the blind and visually impaired? Part of the study geared towards answering this question was conducted with blind and visually impaired secondary school learners through case studies. Results from the case studies show that blind and visually impaired learners can benefit from media exposure when it comes to learning the English language.Mediji imaju veliki utjecaj na život ljudi, uključujući i znatan utjecaj na učenje i procese učenja. Izloženost engleskome jeziku putem medija može višestruko pridonijeti učenju jezika. Pitanje koje je nas zainteresiralo jest: je li moguće usvajanje jezika putem medija kod slijepih i slabovidnih s obzirom da su mediji platforma koja je pretežito usmjerena prema vidućima? Dio istraživanja provedenog ciljem da se pruži odgovor na to pitanje proveden je putem studija slučaja sa srednjoškolskim slijepim i slabovidnim učenicima. Rezultati su pokazali da postoje dobrobiti izloženosti engleskome jeziku kroz medije u učenju tog jezika za slijepe i slabovidne

A revaluation of the cultural dimension of disability policy in the European Union: The impact of digitization and web accessibility

Reflecting the commitments undertaken by the EU through the conclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), the European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 not only gives a prominent position to accessibility, broadly interpreted, but also suggests an examination of the obligations for access to cultural goods and services. The European Disability Strategy 2010–2020 expressly acknowledges that EU action will support national activities to make sports, leisure, cultural and recreational organizations and activities accessible, and use the possibilities for copyright exceptions in the Directive 2001/29/EC (Infosoc Directive). This article discusses to what extent the EU has realized the principle of accessibility and the right to access cultural goods and services envisaged in the UNCRPD. Previous research has yet to explore how web accessibility and digitization interact with the cultural dimension of disability policy in the European Union. This examination attempts to fill this gap by discussing to what extent the European Union has put this cultural dimension into effect and how web accessibility policies and the digitization of cultural materials influence these efforts