CRI: IAD: Comparative Evaluation of Assistive Technology Devices and Software for Visually Impaired Persons

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Proposal #: CNS 07-09472 PI(s): Manduchi, Roberto Institution: University of California- Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 95064-4107 Title: IAD:Comparative Evaluation of Assistive Technology Devices & Software for Visually Impaired Persons This project, acquiring appropriate infrastructure for building assistive technology applications for visually impaired persons, aims at . Analyzing existing products from the technical side as well as from the user standpoint and . Devising new research directions in the Assistive Technology (AT) field.The analysis enables understanding the reasons for success or lack thereof of AT products and contributes in formalizing the do's and the don'ts of assistive technology. Relying on experience with existing technology, the latter requires discussions with visually impaired users who are expected to contribute in defining the most interesting, unexplored, and relevant areas for development. Volunteers from the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Santa Cruz will test the infrastructure. Since many tools have met with scarce success and high abandonment rate in an area where tools often do not go beyond the prototype phase, this infrastructure enables the evaluation of existing technologies in terms of technical performance and usability. The work facilitates drawing conclusions about the various aspects that increase the probability of adoption of an existing technology device.Broader Impact: With a potential to contribute to the quality of life of a segment of the population, this project might increase the independence of blind and visually impaired individuals. Furthermore, the work produces new opportunities for educational and outreach activities involving visually impaired individuals.