Computers and Disabilities Team 1

History of Disabilities: throughout history, people with disabilities did not have the same opportunities due to physical or mental inequalities or social implications first change towards equality in the U.S. : Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, banning discrimination based on disabilities of federal fund recipients 1988: first Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) introduced ton Congress 1990: ADA signed 1992: employment standards added shifted accommodations for disabilities from charity → basic civil rights

History of Disabilities: prosthetics can be found in history as far back as: 950 B.C. with the “Cairo Toe” 300 B.C. in Rome: a bronze peg-leg many advancements were mechanical until 1902: the Acousticon was a hearing aide that used a carbon microphone and battery led to the transistor hearing aid; the beginning of Computers and Disabilities

Current Problems for Society Motor Skills Auditory Visual Grabbing Objects Walking / Running Listening to Music Car Horns Reading a Book Road Signs On daily life

Current Problems for Society Motor Skills Auditory Visual Keyboard & Mouse Touch Screen Game Pad Notifications Online Chat Computer Screen Reading Text On using computers

Solutions to Current Problems Develop software solutions to: Aide motor skill disabilities Aide auditory disabilities Aide visual disabilities Develop computer hardware to alleviate physical disabilities

Software Aiding Motor Skills Disabilities Switch Control - Navigate Mac OS using a switch / joystick Dictation: speech commands and speech-to-text on Mac OS On Screen Mouse Keys Camera Mouse Control mouse with head movements Video games with binary-only input by Project Possibility

Software Aiding Auditory Disabilities Screen Flash Notification System Purple Video Relay Services Video chat with live sign language translators Visual alternative to sounds on Windows Audio Guardian: Live mobile sounds notifier

Software Aiding Visual Disabilities VoiceOver – A Mac OS screen reader “More than just a text to speech tool” Communicates screen contents to Braille Displays Dictation Narrator on Windows Text to Speech Speech Recognition Magnification Tools Pictured: Braille Display

Devices Aiding Physical Disabilities Prosthetic Limbs Take input from brain waves / muscles Able to perform difficult tasks Hearing Aids Programmable (even at home) Enable deaf persons greater hearing ability

Devices Aiding Physical Disabilities No Hands Mouse Foot pedals that replace a computer mouse Aids those without arms or no control of their arms Jouse2 “sip and puff” system Aids in computer use for those without any functional limbs Provides input to computer based on series of puffs and sips on device

Devices continued Help to limit effects of disabilities Improve quality of life Help at home and in the workplace Devices exist to assist a variety of disabilities

Future Outlook of Problems Smarter hardware for solving physical disabilities Internet of things Smarter software for solving auditory and visual disabilities Using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Problem for future years: How to adapt these advancements to help solve problems? Cost reduction: Many devices are still very expensive

Research Sources: http://bluebirdcare.ie/assistive-technology-ancient-modern-times/ http://www.hearingaidmuseum.com/gallery/Carbon/Acousticon/info/acousticonmodela.htm http://dredf.org/news/publications/the-history-of-the-ada/ http://www.apple.com/accessibility/osx/braille-display.html https://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windows10/default.aspx http://www.e-bility.com/links/software.php http://www.cameramouse.org/ http://www.projectpossibility.org/viewProject.php?id=14 http://www.apple.com/accessibility/osx/ http://theinstitute.ieee.org/technology-focus/technology-topic/prosthetic-limbs-offer-a-sense-of-touch http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/articles/developing-the-worlds-most-advanced-prosthetic- arm-using-model-based-design.html http://limpingchicken.com/2013/03/28/robert-mandara-programming-your-own-hearing-aids-part-1-why-you- should-do-it/ http://www.washington.edu/doit/working-together-people-disabilities-and-computer-technology http://www.computerworld.com/article/2522955/computer-hardware/14-tech-tools-that-enhance-computing- for-the-disabled.html