167 research outputs found

    Out of sight, out of mind: accessibility for people with hidden disabilities in museums and heritage sites

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    As of 2020, an estimated 14.1 million residents of the United Kingdom reported a disability (DWP 2020). Within this population, approximately 6.1 million people have a hidden disability (Buhalis and Michopoulou 2011). These hidden disabilities range widely, from neurodiverse conditions like autism and dyslexia to long term chronic conditions such as fibromyalgia and arthritis. Due to the wide range of disabilities and their impact on a disabled person’s life, they have generally been underrepresented in accessibility studies. This thesis uncovers the accessibility needs of people with hidden disabilities, specifically in museums and heritage sites where they have heretofore mostly been overlooked. I utilise semi-structured interviews and correspondence with people with hidden disabilities, as well as participant-led experiences through three case study sites in Northern England, to understand the barriers they face. Their experiences help me expose the importance of passive accessibility – accessibility measures built directly into an exhibition design, such as adequate lighting and personal interpretation boards. Additionally, this thesis aims to understand the cultural forces that prevent or support accessibility-related improvements to such sites from taking place. By studying the cultural make-up of each case study organisation through ethnographic observations of the staff at these sites, institutional roadblocks to enacting accessibility-related adjustments are revealed. Specifically, the lack of communication at these sites presents a significant barrier to enacting accessibility suggestions from disabled visitors. Tying together the themes of active/passive accessibility and lack of communication is the theme of gaps in disability awareness, by which I mean that heritage organisations do not wilfully create these barriers to inclusion, and yet they create them still because they simply do not realise these things. Filling these gaps opens up countless possibilities for improving accessibility not only for people with hidden disabilities but for all visitors and staff at museums and heritage sites

    The Lived Experiences of Dyspraxic Young Adults in Higher Education

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    Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), affects an estimated ten per cent of the population in the United Kingdom (Colley, 2006; Meachon, 2017). However, little is known about dyspraxic young adults’ experiences. Much of the existing literature focuses on children and adolescents, primarily based on the perceptions of medical professionals, education practitioners, and parents of dyspraxic individuals. As a result, understanding dyspraxia/DCD from the perspective of the dyspraxic individual is essential, as this imbalance risks prioritising these perceptions over those of individuals with the condition. As such, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of dyspraxic young adults, specifically focusing on the overall experience of higher education. In order to meet this aim, the study adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach (Smith, Flowers and Larkin, 2009). Following a pilot study to gain a deeper understanding of IPA, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted, three with each of the four participants over nine months. Participants’ narratives were analysed through a systematic and interpretative analysis in which five superordinate themes were identified. These were: 1) Trust and Judgement, 2) Socialisation, 3) Managing Emotions, 4) Being a Higher Education Student, and 5) Support. The findings were considered through the lens of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework (WHO, 2001), the conceptual framework adopted for this study. This thesis demonstrates that dyspraxic young adults can experience various physical, cognitive, social and emotional challenges that present barriers to participation in HE and social settings. While academic support can help remove barriers in HE, a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate due to the condition’s heterogeneity. Furthermore, findings show that anxiety is a secondary consequence rather than a core manifestation of dyspraxia/DCD, lending support to the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (Cairney, Rigoli and Piek, 2013). Finally, due to the interrelational nature of the condition, these findings demonstrate that the ICF framework (WHO, 2001) is valuable for considering dyspraxia/DCD. This study acknowledged, however, that there is a deeper level of interaction happening within the components of the framework. As such, this thesis offers a reconfigured illustration of the ICF Framework. By focusing on the experiences of dyspraxic young adults, we may begin to address the barriers they experience to participation in HE and how these affect their overall well-being through changes to practice

    DynamicRead: Exploring Robust Gaze Interaction Methods for Reading on Handheld Mobile Devices under Dynamic Conditions

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    Enabling gaze interaction in real-time on handheld mobile devices has attracted significant attention in recent years. An increasing number of research projects have focused on sophisticated appearance-based deep learning models to enhance the precision of gaze estimation on smartphones. This inspires important research questions, including how the gaze can be used in a real-time application, and what type of gaze interaction methods are preferable under dynamic conditions in terms of both user acceptance and delivering reliable performance. To address these questions, we design four types of gaze scrolling techniques: three explicit technique based on Gaze Gesture, Dwell time, and Pursuit; and one implicit technique based on reading speed to support touch-free, page-scrolling on a reading application. We conduct a 20-participant user study under both sitting and walking settings and our results reveal that Gaze Gesture and Dwell time-based interfaces are more robust while walking and Gaze Gesture has achieved consistently good scores on usability while not causing high cognitive workload.Comment: Accepted by ETRA 2023 as Full paper, and as journal paper in Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interactio

    An end-to-end review of gaze estimation and its interactive applications on handheld mobile devices

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    In recent years we have witnessed an increasing number of interactive systems on handheld mobile devices which utilise gaze as a single or complementary interaction modality. This trend is driven by the enhanced computational power of these devices, higher resolution and capacity of their cameras, and improved gaze estimation accuracy obtained from advanced machine learning techniques, especially in deep learning. As the literature is fast progressing, there is a pressing need to review the state of the art, delineate the boundary, and identify the key research challenges and opportunities in gaze estimation and interaction. This paper aims to serve this purpose by presenting an end-to-end holistic view in this area, from gaze capturing sensors, to gaze estimation workflows, to deep learning techniques, and to gaze interactive applications.PostprintPeer reviewe

    Lost in technology: Towards a critique of repugnant rights

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    Modern law is founded on an idea of justice that is made felt through rights and entitlements legal subjects enjoy. As such, for law and its idea of justice, rights are inherently good and therefore abundant. On encounter with injustice, it has become commonplace to inquire what laws and rights have been flouted, as if injustice would disappear in encounter with rights that encode justice. But what if no number of laws and rights – even with faultless execution – is up for the task of upholding what we deem just? In this dissertation, I look at the heart of this question, and find the law’s answer not simply wanting but repugnant. The research is animated by interaction of three topoi: personhood, technology, and international law. The first part concerns how these concepts are perceived in law and by those working with laws. As part of the unearthing of the conceptual ground rules, a trilemma between effectiveness, responsiveness, and coherence familiar from regulatory research and international law rears its head. I show how setting the priority on effective and responsive solutions has amounted to derogation of justice and diminishment of law’s foundational entity, a natural person. I explore whether these outcomes could be avoided within liberal international law and answer my own question on the negative. I title this systematic outcome a theory of repugnant rights. The latter part of the dissertation concerns technology, its regulation, and tendency to produce repugnant outcomes in international law. I focus on bio- and information technologies and their legal coding as tools to dismantle legal protection provided by our quality of being human. I will show how intricate legal norms break and remake us in ways that blur the boundaries between persons and things. Once something falls beyond or below the category of a person, its legal status can be warped, twisted, and turned – all while remaining at arm’s length from the person it was once legally part of. Technological intervention to such things allows for effective circumvention of legal shelter provided by human rights, as I show through example of regulation of surrogacy and data storage. To come to terms with the repugnancy, I seek shelter from anger as a transitory category that would enable us to move across the present impasse with rights. I suggest that at the very least international lawyers ought to be angry at quotidian horrors international law upholds. And through such anger overcome the misery and repugnancy of international law.--- Moderni oikeus pohjaa ajatukseen oikeudenmukaisuudesta, joka ilmenee oikeussubjektien nauttimien ja kĂ€yttĂ€mien oikeuksien vĂ€lityksellĂ€. NĂ€in ymmĂ€rrettynĂ€ oikeuden ja sen omaaman oikeudenmukaisuuden kĂ€sityksen kannalta oikeudet ovat itseisarvoisesti hyviĂ€, mikĂ€ selittÀÀ niiden suuren mÀÀrĂ€n. Kun kohtaamme epĂ€oikeudenmukaisuutta tapaamme kysyĂ€, mitĂ€ lakeja ja oikeuksia on loukattu, ikÀÀn kuin epĂ€oikeudenmukaisuus kaikkoaisi sen kohdatessa oikeuden sisĂ€ltĂ€mĂ€n oikeudenmukaisuuden idean. Mutta entĂ€ jos mikÀÀn mÀÀrĂ€ lakeja ja oikeuksia – edes tĂ€ydellisesti tĂ€ytĂ€ntöönpantuna – ei riitĂ€ puolustamaan oikeudenmukaisena pitĂ€mÀÀmme? VĂ€itöskirjassani kurkistan tĂ€mĂ€n kysymyksen ytimeen ja löydĂ€n vastauksen, joka ei ole ainoastaan riittĂ€mĂ€tön vaan myös vastenmielinen. VĂ€itöksessĂ€ni operoin oikeushenkilön, teknologian ja kansainvĂ€lisen oikeuden rajapinnoilla. VĂ€itökseni ensimmĂ€inen osa koskee sitĂ€, kuinka oikeuden ja lakien parissa työskentelevĂ€t mieltĂ€vĂ€t nĂ€mĂ€ kĂ€sitteet. NĂ€iden kĂ€sitteiden tarkastelun yhteydessĂ€ havaitsen sÀÀntelytutkimuksesta ja kansainvĂ€lisestĂ€ oikeudesta tutun tehokkuuden, responsiivisuuden ja johdonmukaisuuden vĂ€lisen trilemman. Osoitan, miten tehokkaiden ja responsiivisten ratkaisujen asettaminen etusijalle on merkinnyt lipeĂ€mistĂ€ oikeudenmukaisuudesta ja samalla oikeuden keskeisen subjektin, luonnollisen henkilön, merkityksen pienentymistĂ€. Tutkin, voitaisiinko tĂ€mĂ€ trilemma vĂ€lttÀÀ liberaalin kansainvĂ€lisen oikeuden puitteissa, ja vastaan omaan kysymykseeni kielteisesti. NimeĂ€n tĂ€mĂ€n tuloksen vastenmielisten oikeuksien teoriaksi. VĂ€itöskirjan jĂ€lkimmĂ€inen osa kĂ€sittelee teknologiaa, sen sÀÀtelyĂ€ ja sen taipumusta tuottaa vastenmielisiĂ€ lopputuloksia kansainvĂ€lisessĂ€ oikeudessa. Tarkastelen lĂ€hemmin bio- ja informaatioteknologioita ja niiden oikeudellista sÀÀntelyĂ€, sekĂ€ sitĂ€ millaisia vĂ€lineitĂ€ ne tarjoavat ihmisyyden tarjoaman oikeudellisen suojan purkamiseen. Osoitan kuinka monimutkaiset oikeudelliset normit rikkovat ja muokkaavat meitĂ€ tavoilla, jotka hĂ€mĂ€rtĂ€vĂ€t ihmisten ja asioiden vĂ€lisiĂ€ rajoja. Kun jokin ei ole enÀÀ henkilö, sen oikeudellista asemaa voidaan vÀÀristÀÀ, vÀÀntÀÀ ja kÀÀntÀÀ. Teknologinen puuttuminen tĂ€llaisiin esineisiin ja asioihin mahdollistaa ihmisoikeuksien tarjoaman laillisen suojan tehokkaan kiertĂ€misen, kuten osoitan sijaissynnytyksen ja datan tallennuksen sÀÀntelyn kautta. Vastauksena oikeuden vastenmielisyydelle haen suojaa vihasta. Viha tarjoaa sellaisen tilapĂ€isen kategorian, jonka avulla voimme vĂ€lttÀÀ havaitsemani oikeuksien umpikujan. Katson, ettĂ€ kansainvĂ€lisen oikeuden harjoittajien olisi vĂ€hintÀÀnkin oltava vihaisia kohdatessaan kansainvĂ€lisen oikeuden synnyttĂ€miĂ€ ja mahdollistamia jokapĂ€ivĂ€isiĂ€ kauhuja. Turvautumalla vihaan, jonka voimme myöhemmin asettaa sivuun, voisimme selĂ€ttÀÀ kansainvĂ€lisen oikeuden surkeuden ja sen vastenmielisyyden

    Social convergence in times of spatial distancing: The rRole of music during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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    Engage in Public Scholarship! A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication

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    Public scholarship – sharing research with audiences outside of academic settings – has become increasingly necessary to counter the rise of misinformation, to fill gaps from cuts to traditional media, and to increase the reach of important scholarship by making it available to the public. However, engaging in these efforts also comes with the risk of harassment and threats – especially for women, people of colour, queer communities, and precariously employed workers. Engage in Public Scholarship! provides constructive guidance on how to translate research into inclusive public outreach while ensuring that such efforts are accessible for a range of abilities as well as safer for those involved. In clear and helpful language, Alex D. Ketchum discusses practices and planning for a great range of educational activities – from in-person and online events, conferences, and lectures, to publishing and working with the media, to social media activity, blogging, and podcasting. Using an intersectional feminist lens, this book serves as a concise approach to the key challenges and benefits of feminist and accessible public scholarship by surveying debates and offering solutions. Examining the needs for long-term preservation and impact, Ketchum discusses issues relating to digital sustainability, maintenance, the concept of “openness,” and how to be mindful of exclusionary barriers that impede access. A useful and readable guidebook for scholars, students, and content creators, Engage in Public Scholarship! offers both encouragement and toolkits for reaching audiences and sharing knowledge in practical and more equitable ways. Dr. Alex D. Ketchum is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies of McGill University

    Metropolitan Research

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    Metropolitan research requires multidisciplinary perspectives in order to do justice to the complexities of metropolitan regions. This volume provides a scholarly and accessible overview of key methods and approaches in metropolitan research from a uniquely broad range of disciplines including architectural history, art history, heritage conservation, literary and cultural studies, spatial planning and planning theory, geoinformatics, urban sociology, economic geography, operations research, technology studies, transport planning, aquatic ecosystems research and urban epidemiology. It is this scope of disciplinary - and increasingly also interdisciplinary - approaches that allows metropolitan research to address recent societal challenges of urban life, such as mobility, health, diversity or sustainability
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