Breaking boundaries with live transcribe: expanding use cases beyond standard captioning scenarios

In this paper, we explore non-traditional, serendipitous uses of an automatic speech recognition (ASR) application called Live Transcribe. Through these, we are able to identify interaction use cases for developing further technology to enhance the communication capabilities of deaf and hard of hearing people

Towards Universally Designed Communication: Opportunities and Challenges in the Use of Automatic Speech Recognition Systems to Support Access, Understanding and Use of Information in Communicative Settings

Unlike physical barriers, communication barriers do not have an easy solution: people speak or sign in different languages and may have wide-ranging proficiency levels in the languages they understand and produce. Universal Design (UD) principles in the domain of language and communication have guided the production of multimodal (audio, visual, written) information. For example, UD guidelines encourage websites to provide information in alternative formats (for example, a video with captions; a sign language version). The same UD for Learning principles apply in the classroom, and instructors are encouraged to prepare content to be presented multimodally, making use of increasingly available technology. In this chapter, I will address some of the opportunities and challenges offered by automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems. These systems have many strengths, and the most evident is the time they employ to convert speech sounds into a written form, faster than the time human transcribers need to perform the same process. These systems also present weaknesses, for example, a higher rate of errors when compared to human-generated transcriptions. It is essential to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of technology when choosing which device(s) to use in a universally designed environment to enhance access to information and communication. It is equally imperative to understand which tools are most appropriate for diverse populations. Therefore, researchers should continue investigating how people process information in a multimodal format, and how technology can be improved based on this knowledge and users’ needs and feedback

Improving Deaf Accessibility to Web-based Multimedia

Internet technologies have expanded rapidly over the past two decades, making information of all sorts more readily available. Not only are they more cost-effective than traditional media, these new media have contributed to quality and convenience. However, proliferation of video and audio media on the internet creates an inadvertent disadvantage for deaf Internet users. Despite technological and legislative milestones in recent decades in making television and movies more accessible, there has been little progress with online access. A major obstacle to providing captions for internet media is the high cost of captioning and transcribing services. To respond to this problem, a possible solution lies in automatic speech recognition (ASR). This research investigates possible solutions to Web accessibility through utilization of ASR technologies. It surveys previous studies that employ visualization and ASR to determine their effectiveness in the context of deaf accessibility. Since there was no existing literature indicating the area of greatest need, a preliminary study identified an application that would serve as a case study for applying and evaluating speech visualization technology. A total of 20 deaf and hard-of-hearing participants were interviewed via video phone and their responses in American Sign Language were transcribed to English. The most common theme was concern over a lack of accessibility for online news. The second study evaluated different presentation strategies for making online news videos more accessible. A total of 95 participants viewed four different caption styles. Each style was presented on different news stories with control for content level and delivery. In addition to pre-test and post-test questionnaires, both performance and preference measures were conducted. Results from the study offer emphatic support for the hypothesis that captioning the online videos makes the Internet more accessible to the deaf users. Furthermore, the findings lend strong evidence to the idea of utilizing automatic captions to make videos comprehensible to the deaf viewers at a fraction of the cost. The color-coded captions that used highlighting to reflect the accuracy ratings were found neither to be beneficial nor detrimental; however, when asked directly about the benefit of color-coding there was support for the concept. Further development and research will be necessary to find the appropriate solution

Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook

Contains a guide for integrating older adults and people with disabilities into all aspects of an arts organization -- from planning and design to marketing and technical assistance

Closing the Digital Divide: Understanding Organizational Approaches to Digital Accessibility in Higher Education

Digital accessibility practices are becoming standardized in higher education as institutions seek to meet compliance with federal and state equal access laws. Students with disabilities have equal rights to access university programs and services in digital format. The widespread use of assistive technology, artificial intelligence, and content available in digital format brings forth ethical and legal concerns about equal access for individuals with disabilities. While broad approaches to digital accessibility in higher education are in the literature, there is a growing need for more studies to examine comprehensive approaches to digital accessibility across multiple units, disciplines, and the organization\u27s hierarchy. This case study examined individual participant interviews from 14 practitioners in different units and publicly available data to analyze how digital accessibility is addressed at three medium-sized public institutions of higher. During the inductive coding process, five main themes emerged related to implementing digital accessibility across the institutions, how it relates to people, practices, policies, and planning, and the larger body of literature on digital accessibility. The findings show there is no one-size-fits-all approach to digital accessibility. Institutions in higher education are motivated by risk management and compliance. A centralized and coordinated approach led to more organized efforts. Initiatives were largely led from the middle-level hierarchy. The availability of resources and funding affected the effectiveness of implementation efforts. The consistency of communication and uniformity of training affected the adoption of practices. Technology toolkits influenced the adoption of practices. Institutional policies and standards guided practices. Recommendations include prioritizing digital accessibility and student needs by designating a head of accessibility, coordinating efforts across units, centralizing processes, avoiding technology-only solutions, adopting the Higher Education Community Vendor Assessment Tool (HECVAT), and enacting an official policy that drives practices, expanding training for faculty, and providing consistent assistive technology support for students. An overall institutional coordinated plan for digital accessibility could lead to consistent and regular communication about policies and procedures and provide for a system of metrics and benchmarks

Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework - Application of Data Science in Inclusive Education

Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Science and Advanced Analytics, specialization in Data ScienceBeing a disabled student the author faced higher education with a handicap which as experience studying during COVID 19 confinement periods matched the findings in recent research about the importance of digital accessibility through more e-learning intensive academic experiences. Narrative and systematic literature reviews enabled providing context in World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, legal and standards framework and information technology and communication state-of-the art. Assessing Portuguese higher education institutions’ web sites alerted to the fact that only outlying institutions implemented near perfect, accessibility-wise, websites. Therefore a gap was identified in how accessible the Portuguese higher education websites are, the needs of all students, including those with disabilities, and even the accessibility minimum legal requirements for digital products and the services provided by public or publicly funded organizations. Having identified a problem in society and exploring the scientific base of knowledge for context and state of the art was a first stage in the Design Science Research methodology, to which followed development and validation cycles of an Inclusive Intelligent Learning Management System Framework. The framework blends various Data Science study fields contributions with accessibility guidelines compliant interface design and content upload accessibility compliance assessment. Validation was provided by a focus group whose inputs were considered for the version presented in this dissertation. Not being the purpose of the research to deliver a complete implementation of the framework and lacking consistent data to put all the modules interacting with each other, the most relevant modules were tested with open data as proof of concept. The rigor cycle of DSR started with the inclusion of the previous thesis on Atlântica University Institute Scientific Repository and is to be completed with the publication of this thesis and the already started PhD’s findings in relevant journals and conferences

Renewing the Commitment: An ADA Compliance Guide for Nonprofits

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has been hailed as one of the most significant civil rights laws since the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Its intent is to ensure that people with physical and mental disabilities have equal access to, and equal opportunity to enjoy, the services and activities of state and local governments, as well as most private entities including most nonprofit organizations.This guide is just that -- a guide. It does not set standards for grantees of The Chicago Community Trust. It is not intended as legal advice. At times, this guide states the ADA's explicit requirements and identifies them as such. At other times, it makes suggestions that go beyond the minimum requirements of the ADA, providing guidance for improving access and adopting best practices. It is intended to give your organization information about compliance, along with tools that make compliance possible -- tools that you can use and adapt according to your size, activities and resources

State of IT Report 2018

This report highlighted the achievements of the US:IT division over the past year, including the many successes realized in empowering members of the University community with tools necessary for facilitating success. This report also provided an overview of the organization, the work they have been engaged in over the past 12 months and their future directions

Case Study in Modeling Accessibility for Online Instruction.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

audialText: Improving communication accessibility for the deaf through automatic voice-recognition and wearable smart-technology.

Whether you are ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or receiving a phone call from a family member, it is apparent that human communication is an important part of everyday life. Those who are deaf have limited communication accessibility compared to their hearing counterparts, and by default, obtain less public information and face more obstacles during social interactions. This thesis project will attempt to bridge this communication gap through the exploration of human interactions with user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. The goal is to design and develop an application concept for wearable smart-technology that will utilize voice-recognition software to improve common communication interactions for the deaf. It will also play a role towards improving incidental learning, literacy, and language comprehension for the deaf. This research will validate the need for increased accessibility, study human interactions, explore existing applications, and visualize potential technological solutions. It will also explore the language and literacy developments of deaf individuals. It will be user-centered in its approach using polls and surveys to help drive certain aspects of the application’s concept, user experience, and features. As a result of the research discoveries, an application concept will be designed strategically, developed conceptually, communicated visually, and finally prototyped through a digital platform in the form of a motion graphic