A Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance - Blindness

Ebrima Jarjue

wendy479 — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 19:39:20 +0000

Field of Study:

Human-computer Interaction

I am blind, a father of three daughters, a non-traditional student, and a senior at University of Maryland (UMD), College Park majoring in information science at the UMD iSchool hoping to specialize in human-computer interaction in graduate studies. I value education not only in the practical sense but also for how it shapes me as a person and allows me to contribute to our society.

This summer, I participated in the Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates (DREU) program, a summer internship program supporting female and underrepresented students. I found out about this opportunity from Dr. Hernisa Kacorri, an Assistant Professor at UMD. I was interested in her research on accessibility and wanted to work with her over the summer. After expressing my interest, she invited me to join her research lab, the Intelligent Assistive Machines (IAM) Lab, and she directed me to AccessComputing.

This project is very close to my heart as it allows me to contribute to novel assistive technologies that can improve the lives of people with visual impairments. It was also a fun project that gave me the opportunity to interact with graduate students and learn how to conduct research.

My task involved helping with the design and implementation of the data collection process that will serve as a benchmark for our machine learning algorithms. This involved engineering the stimuli and all possible variables for photo taking of everyday objects by blind users. I contributed to the first dataset that is currently being replicated. This dataset plays an important role in the project as it will be used to train and test computer vision models to be incorporated in a wearable or mobile device as a teachable objection application for blind users. Specifically, blind participants will be training the mobile application with snapshots of object of interest and can provide custom labels as well as object descriptions through audio.

Prior studies show that there are many benefits for people who are blind and visually impaired living in their own homes rather than assisted living facilities. We are hoping that the assistive technologies from this project will help in this direction.

I had an awesome experience working as a team member of such a diverse group. Working with graduate students and hearing their stories post-undergrad was very rewarding and eye-opening. It was also a great networking experience as I attended research talks and got to discuss with research visitors about their work. Specifically, I would like to thank Dr. Kacorri for setting up a meeting with Ali Abdolrahmani. Ali was the first blind Ph.D. student that I have met. Not only were our discussion fruitful, but also through him I got introduced to an entire network of blind researchers.

I had an excellent time working at the IAM Lab. I owe this to many people, including AccessComputing. This alliance has helped me in so many ways, and I would recommend any fellow student who is blind or visually impaired to join them.

Also, finding a reader or scribe right before the summer is hard. Students often leave for summer vacations or internships. I would recommend reaching out early on.

Being able to do what I love for an entire summer has been a priceless experience. Through this program, I learned technical skills such as programming in HTML and LaTeX as well as analytical thinking, reading scholarly articles, and experimental design processes.

The DREU internship program has helped me accomplish my goals in gaining research experience and pursuing research opportunities for future graduate studies. And why stop at a master’s degree? Initiatives like AccessComputing empower students like me to dream further and leverage their life experiences to make a better world. Hopefully, next time you hear from me, I will be a Ph.D. student.

Disability:

Blindness

Are there Hour of Code activities that are accessible to students with visual impairments?

FeedsImporter — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 06:15:01 +0000

Code.org’s Hour of Code activities are one-hour tutorials designed to expose K-12 students to coding and other aspects of computer science. Although there are numerous Hour of Code projects, many are not accessible to students who are blind and visually impaired. However, there are two that utilize the Quorum programming language and are accessible.

Code with Mary, Astronomy, Dash Joins a Dance Circle (K-5), and Dash Joins a Dance Circle (with functions) (6-8) are fully accessible to students with visual impairments and can also be used with a classroom of sighted students. Currently, there are no other accessible Hour of Code activities.

For more information about Code.org and students with disabilities, consult Supporting Students with Disabilities for the Hour of Code.

For more information about accessible K-12 computer science, consult the following knowledge base articles:

Are there resources to help individuals who are blind build hardware devices?

FeedsImporter — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 01:45:01 +0000

Yes. For example, there is a community of individuals who are blind and use the Arduino platform to build hardware devices. Arduino allows users to build digital devices that can sense and control objects in the physical world. Arduinos can utilize sensors, motors, displays, wireless communications, and a host of other tools to build things like alarm clocks, robots, night lights, and limitless other projects. The Blind Arduino blog has resources and advice for getting started.

How are the terms low vision, visually impaired, and blind defined?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 29 Jun 2017 09:25:02 +0000

Low vision is used to describe a loss of visual acuity while retaining some vision. It applies to individuals with sight who are unable to read a newspaper at a normal distance of viewing, even with the aid of glasses or contact lenses. People with low vision often need adaptations in lighting and/or enlarged print to read something. There are two specific types of low vision:

Myopic- Unable to see distant objects clearly, commonly referred to as "near-sighted."
Hyperopic- Unable to see close objects clearly, commonly referred to as "far-sighted."

Partially Sighted is usually used in educational contexts to describe a visual impairment that requires special education services. The partially sighted student meets the challenge of disability in much the same way as a totally blind student. Accommodations include the use of readers, audio taped texts, and raised-line drawings. The partially sighted student may be able to use large print books and a Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) or other magnifying device. Some partially sighted students can take notes in class by printing very large with a felt tip pen or marker; others will tape record lectures for later use.

Legally Blind refers to people that have less than 20/200 vision in the better eye or a limited field of vision that is 20 degrees or less at its widest point. People who are legally blind may have some useful vision.

Totally Blind individuals need Braille, raised-line drawings, audio recordings, and/or other non-visual media as an accommodation for accessing the content of visually presented materials.

The descriptions above were compiled using the following resources.

The Center for Parent Information and Resources publication Visual Impairments.

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) website.

The The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) website.

Braille Plus, Inc.'s glossary of definitions and terms related to braille, visual impairments and blindness.

In what format will a student who is blind turn in assignments and tests?

FeedsImporter — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 03:45:01 +0000

In most cases, a student who is blind will type written assignments on the computer. The assignments can then be submitted online via the same methods as their sighted counterparts, as long as those methods are designed in a way that is accessible to students' assistive technologies.

Students who are blind can also submit materials in print form, or via email, flash drive, or via file-transfer service, depending on the preferences of the student and instructor. Sometimes, particularly during tests, students may also dictate short answers to a reader who will handwrite responses.

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI)

FeedsImporter — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 01:25:01 +0000

Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI Access)

Offers online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.

Does a student who is blind need accommodations to benefit from class discussions?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

Yes. It is most helpful if all speakers identify themselves by name prior to responding to a question or making a discussion comment. Any demonstrations or visual aides will also need to be verbally described.

Are there scientific and graphing calculators that can be used by students who are blind?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

Calculators are commonly used at every education level. Calculators that can perform statistical or scientific calculations, manipulate matrices, and plot functions on a graph are particularly helpful in the study of higher-level mathematics. Although most scientific or graphing calculators are not accessible to someone who does not have usable sight, there are options available that allow students who are blind to use these tools successfully.

A number of talking scientific calculators are available on the market, although no single calculator may function as needed at all educational levels. This means that an assessment of the features needed by the student must be done to ensure that the best calculator for them is selected. Susan Osterhaus at the Texas School for the Blind has compiled a review of the functionality of various talking scientific calculators which may help in the selection process. The Orion TI-30XS MultiView Talking Scientific Calculator is one well regarded talking scientific calculator that may meet the needs of a variety of students.

Another option is to use a portable electronic notetaker with advanced math functions. Some notetakers combine speech synthesis and refreshable Braille that can be used by students who are blind for performing trigonometric and logarithmic calculations. Check with the notetaker manufacturer to see if a scientific calculator function is supported.

There is also software available which can provide speech access to a scientific calculator application. Some of these emulate a common calculator interface, and some can also provide audio access to graphs. The Audio Graphing Calculator (AGC) is an example of an accessible Windows-based software program that features a graphing calculator capable of displaying graphs both visually and audibly as a sonified tone graph.

To find out more about accessible math consult the Knowledge Base articles What are some techniques for creating Braille math materials? and Why is accessible math important?

What is Nemeth Code?

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

Nemeth Code is a special type of braille used for math and science notations. It was developed in 1946 by Dr. Abraham Nemeth as part of his doctoral studies in mathematics. In 1952, the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) accepted Nemeth Code as the standard code for representing math and science expressions in braille. With Nemeth Code, one can render all mathematical and technical documents into six-dot braille, including expressions in these areas:

Arithmetic
Column arithmetic, including carrying and borrowing
Long division
Algebra
Geometry (not including figure drawings)
Trigonometry
Calculus
Modern mathematics up to research level

Because Nemeth Code is in six-dot braille, it can be generated using some of the braille tools, such as a computer, a slate and stylus, or the Perkins Braille Writer.

Freedom Scientific offers a free downloadable Nemeth Code self-study, which is designed for blind individuals to learn to read and write the Nemeth Code for braille mathematics. To learn or refresh skills using this code, visit Freedom Scientific's Nemeth Code Self-Study Instructional Material.

Robbie and a Computer Course: A Case Study on Computing Access for Students who are Blind

FeedsImporter — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 19:04:54 +0000

Background

My name is Robbie and I am blind. I have been using computers for several years and consider myself "computer-proficient". I access the computer via a combination of speech output (Jaws for Windows™) and a dynamic Braille display. I am presently enrolled in the Computer Programming program at the local community college. One of the courses required in the program is Database Concepts. The Database Application used in this course is Microsoft Access, an application that is run under Microsoft Windows™, a point-and-click environment.

Access Issues

The text for the course assumes that all students are sighted. All the examples and instructions involve the use of the mouse. The instructor was not aware of any keyboard shortcuts to accomplish the necessary tasks. I needed to develop strategies for finding keyboard shortcuts and suggesting an accommodation in the event that there were no keyboard shortcuts for certain tasks.

Solution

Together with the Assistive Technology Specialist at the Disability Support Office, I consulted technical support from Microsoft and Freedom Scientific and compiled and memorized a comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts. In addition, I joined a listserv for blind computer users where I was able to obtain several helpful suggestions for accomplishing tasks where keyboard shortcuts were not available. In situations where the team was not able to determine a method for me to accomplish a task on my own, an assistant, usually the Assistive Technology Specialist, would perform the task with the mouse, based on my instructions. These ideas were presented to the instructor who expressed her willingness to work with the Disability Services Office and the Assistive Technology Specialist to arrive at the best possible accommodation for me.

In summary, the accommodations that were made in this class were:

Extended time to complete many of the assignments due to having to schedule time with the Assistive Technology Specialist and researching the keyboard shortcuts.
Assistance in performing tasks when keyboard shortcuts could not be identified.
Access to an adapted computer station.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates that:

Close collaboration with the disabled student services office can facilitate creative and reasonable accommodations.
An Assistive Technology Specialist can be instrumental in providing computer accommodations when one-to-one assistance is required.
Specialized discussion lists on the Internet provide access to people who have solved some computer access issues for students with specific disabilities.
The accessibility features in software can be difficult to locate and use.
When software is purchased, the procurement officer should inquire about accessibility features and use this information during the decision-making process. Ideally, all electronic and information technology purchased is accessible to people with disabilities, with or without the use of assistive technology.