Stressing the Boundaries of Mobile Accessibility

Mobile devices gather the communication capabilities as no other gadget. Plus, they now comprise a wider set of applications while still maintaining reduced size and weight. They have started to include accessibility features that enable the inclusion of disabled people. However, these inclusive efforts still fall short considering the possibilities of such devices. This is mainly due to the lack of interoperability and extensibility of current mobile operating systems (OS). In this paper, we present a case study of a multi-impaired person where access to basic mobile applications was provided in an applicational basis. We outline the main flaws in current mobile OS and suggest how these could further empower developers to provide accessibility components. These could then be compounded to provide system-wide inclusion to a wider range of (multi)-impairments.Comment: 3 pages, two figures, ACM CHI 2013 Mobile Accessibility Worksho

Encaminhamento anycast em redes IPv6: uma proposta

O aparecimento do protocolo de comunicação IPv6 introduziu um novo paradigma de comunicação denominado anycast (um-para-um-de-muitos). Este novo paradigma, utiliza o conceito de grupo, à semelhança do que acontece com o multicast, mas em oposição a este, a informação é enviada apenas para um dos membros do grupo (tipicamente o mais próximo) e não para todos. Embora já se tenham passado alguns anos desde o seu aparecimento anycast tem sofrido uma lenta evolução,contribuindo para esta situação o facto de não existir ainda um protocolo normalizado, que permita `as aplicações usar de forma generalizada este paradigma de comunicação. Tradicionalmente as soluções para o problema de encaminhamento anycast são simplesmente baseadas no encaminhamento unicast sem alterações. No entanto, e tratando-se de um paradigma que usa o conceito de grupo,é de esperar que os protocolos de encaminhamento multicast, ou alguma variante destes, possam vir a constituir uma boa solução para a implementação do anycast ao nível da rede. O presente artigo apresenta um levantamento de propostas relacionadas com o tema e propõe um novo protocolo de encaminhamento anycast baseado no protocolo PIM-SM (Protocol Independent Multicast -Sparse Mode), denominado Tree-based Anycast Protocol (TAP). As alterações propostas ao protocolo PIM-SM são apresentadas na especificação do sistema, tendo sido o seu correto funcionamento aferido recorrendo ao Network Simulator 2 (ns-2.35)

Poder, clientelismo e violência política no Zimbabwe: a Terceira Chimurenga

As conflitualidades que hoje assolam a sociedade zimbabweana são o resultado das pressões cumulativas induzidas por injustiças herdadas do tempo colonial, por uma grave crise económica e pela crescente ineficácia de um sistema político autocrático. Descartada que é, pela grande maioria dos observadores internos e externos, a dimensão racial como um factor autónomo de atrito, é normalmente aceite que os principais conflitos hoje presentes na sociedade zimbabweana podem ser integrados em três áreas bem identificadas: 1) uma área de conflitualidade económica e social, 2) uma área de conflitualidade fundamentalmente política, 3) uma área de conflitualidade regional e étnica.The conflicts which are today manifest in Zimbabwean society are the result of cumulative pressures stemming from unjust situations inherited from the colonial past, from a serious economic crisis, and from the increasing inefficiency of an autocratic political system. The vast majority of internal and external observers have put aside the notion that the racial dimension constitutes an autonomous factor in the conflict. It is at this stage generally accepted that the main conflicts present in contemporary Zimbabzean society can be included in three clearly identified areas: 1) an area of economic and social conflicts, 2) an area of fundamentally political conflicts, 3) an area of regional and ethnic conflicts.Les conflits que se manifestent aujourd'hui dans la société du Zimbabwe sont le résultat de pressions cumulatives, provoquées par des injustices héritées du temps colonial, par une grave crise économique, et par l'inefficacité croissante d'un système politique autocrate. La grande majorité des observateurs internes et externes écarte la dimension raciale comme facteur autonome de conflit. Il est en ce moment-ci normalement accepté que les principaux conflits présents dans la société contemporaine au Zimbabwe peuvent être intégrés dans trois domaines clairement identifiés: 1) un domaine de conflits économiques et sociaux, 2) un domaine de conflits fondamentalement politiques, 3) un domaine de conflits régionaux et ethniques

mBrailler: Multimodal Braille Keyboard for Android

Touchscreen devices have paved their way into the mobile scene, presenting a wide set of possibilities but a comparable number of new challenges, particularly for people who are blind. While these devices have a small number of tactile cues, such as buttons, they provide the opportunity to create novel interaction techniques. In this paper, we present mBrailler. mBrailler is a mobile braille keyboard that combines the benefits of physical keyboards (speed and accuracy) and gestural interfaces (flexibility and personalization). We built an 8-button Braille keyboard that can be attached to the back of mainstream smartphones allowing fast and familiar chorded input. On the other hand,the touchscreen enables thumb entered gestures for more complex text editing operations, such as caret movement, text selection, copy, and paste. This project combines the tactile benefits of Braille typewriters with the customization of smartphone applications. We aim to provide a more efficient and effective typing experience for blind users, thus increasing their productivity with current mobile devices

Proximity-aware interactive displays for rehabilitation centres

Abstract in proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of CiiEM: Health, Well-Being and Ageing in the 21st Century, held at Egas Moniz’ University Campus in Monte de Caparica, Almada, from 3–5 June 2019.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Improving Class Pace for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students

Following multimedia lectures in mainstream classrooms in university education is challenging for deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students even when they are provided accommodations to best address their individual needs. Due to multiple visual sources of information (teacher, slides, interpreter, blackboard), these students struggle to divide their attention among several simultaneous sources of input, which may result in their missing important parts of the lecture content; as a result, DHH students’ access to information can be limited in comparison to that of their hearing peers, and so their academic achievements may be impacted. This paper introduces SlidePacer, a tool aimed at improving coordination between the instructor’s speech, the sign language interpretation of the lecture and the slide projection change. The goal of this software is to prevent DHH students’ loss of information by promoting an adequate pace of the lecture, which can contribute to their learning and academic achievements. We conclude with discussion of future work