accessibility – IXD@Pratt

Assistive Technology: accesiBe’s accessWidget for Websites.

Katherine Oppenheim / February 1, 2024 / Design Critiques

What is accessWidget? The accessWidget by accessiBe actively bridges the gap in website access for businesses by creating an enabling environment of inclusivity for people with varying disabilities. By incorporating features such as screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and adjustable color contrasts, the AccessWidget ensures that individuals with visual impairments, motor disabilities, and cognitive challenges […]

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Design Critique: LinkedIn Website

Richa Shah / September 13, 2023 / Design Critiques

Introduction: LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform designed primarily for career development and networking. Users can create their custom profile to showcase their skills, experience, and education. They can further connect with industry peers and potential employers, making it a hub for job searching, recruitment, and business networking. It also allows the users to

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Assistive Technology: Microsoft Adaptive Controller

Brooke Shapiro / September 12, 2023 / Expert Voices

The following analysis reviews core features of The Microsoft Adaptive Controller. I utilize the different models of disability to identify how this promotes accessibility in gaming.

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The image features a blue wheel with a white handle. The wheel is the focal point of the image and is displayed prominently against a white background. Near the center of the wheel, the text "FreeWheel" is visible in white lettering. The wheel's is a bit smaller than a standard bicycle wheel, and about twice as thick. On the right side of the wheel, there is an attachment mechanism.

Assistive Technology: FreeWheel

Katja Vujic / September 12, 2023 / Design Critiques

The FreeWheel is a wheelchair attachment for rigid frame or folding manual wheelchairs with a footrest below 4-3/4″ and a footrest angle less than 12%. It attaches to the front of the wheelchair, lifting the wheelchair’s casters off the ground so it becomes a three-wheeler, allowing it to move across surfaces it otherwise couldn’t.

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Assistive Technology: The Quha Zono Mouse

Hayley Greason / February 2, 2023 / Design Critiques

The Quha Zono Mouse is an assistive technology for anyone who can’t effectively or easily use a hand-operated computer mouse. It works gyroscopically, meaning it allows the user to move the cursor on a screen with head movements. Three iterations of the mouse exist: the original Zono, the Zono 2 and the Zono X. Components

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SpeechEasy devices for altering auditory feedback

Assistive Technology: SpeechEasy & Electronic Fluency Devices

Benjamin Fuller / February 2, 2023 / Design Critiques

For people who stutter, Electronic Fluency Devices may be used to enhance fluency in speech production. These devices alter the feedback users receive when speaking to create a “choral effect, or the perception that one is speaking in unison with others,” according to the Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. “Choral speaking has long been a method used in therapy to increase fluency or decrease stuttering.” Devices like SpeechEasy, though costly, may help people who stutter with speech fluency if desired.

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Assistive Technology: NaviLens

Xiaoqi Chen / September 13, 2022 / News

NaviLens is an innovative navigation and labeling app specifically designed for people with visual impairments. By scanning the special tags generated by the systems, the users are able to get audio information on positioning and route guidance, empowering them to find their ways quickly and effectively.

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Smithsonian Learning Lab Search Tool Evaluation Report

Allysha Leonard / April 25, 2022 / News

We are interested in better understanding how users search for collections – user-created aggregations of resources designed for learning – on the Lab website, and whether or not these searches are successful or unsuccessful. Answering these questions will help us better understand what users are looking for on the Lab website, Smithsonian educators understand what gaps they can fill with the creation of new educational content, and our team to improve our user guidelines for ensuring collections are easily discoverable.”Our analysis focuses on the needs of educators and learners, the Lab’s main target audiences, but incorporates data from other users such as museum educators and enthusiasts.

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Assistive Technology: OrCam Read

Vonetta DeVonish / September 15, 2021 / Design Critiques

Reading is a fun diversion, whether it’s a riveting novel or an interesting blog post or a funny tweet. It becomes a challenge when you are sleep-deprived or in a noisy environment and it’s hard to concentrate. This simple activity poses an even greater challenge for people with cognitive impairments that affect their ability to read.

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Assistive Technology: Kurzweil 3000

Ashley Dirzis / September 14, 2021 / Design Critiques

Kurzweil 3000 is a text-to-speech software that emphasizes reading comprehension through a multi-sensory approach. When a user uploads a PDF document to Kurzweil, the software is able to transform the text into a customizable audio-track, change the font of the text to an OpenDyslexic font, and more. Text-to-Speech Features For most of history, reading was

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