Increasing independence through access to technology

通用设计原则是在1970年代提出的，以确保残疾人的平等机会。然而，这些原则主要集中在行动问题上，他们缺乏指导方针，以开发计算机访问工具，使规划和运动障碍的个人参与。我打算通过开发一个支持辅助技术设计的框架来填补这一空白，从而实现有效的计算机访问。这将使残疾人更多地参与社会。我的研究将包括一个模型，占人体运动的物理，规划和运动控制方面的发展。我们将进一步开发一种通用设计的算法，改善运动控制障碍患者的点击式计算机访问。 对计算机访问机制的研究可以为人们，设备，条件和损伤水平之间的运动差异的来源提供基本的见解。我们建议开发一个游戏化的测试环境，使我们能够收集有关运动时间，策略和轨迹的信息，从有和没有损伤的人。游戏化的环境旨在激励参与者实现特定目标，在这种情况下，快速，准确地朝着目标移动。我们已经表明，简单的运动模型是不具有代表性的个人与残疾和更复杂的模型是必需的。这些模型将为理解残疾人复杂的协调模式提供基础，并可能有助于更基础的动态系统理论研究。 给定不同的访问机制和模式，我们可以创建人类运动模型，其中包括有障碍的用户的共同特征（错误点击，目标滑落，大弹道运动）。这些模型将用于确定规格和要求，以便开发普遍适用的算法，以提高计算机的使用，例如，当光标接近目标时，可以降低光标速度。 HQP培训五名本科生（UG），两名MASc学生和四名博士生将发生。每个人都将熟练地与利益相关者和循证研究进行沟通。UG学生将接受研究协议，道德，运动分析系统的培训，并将协助收集数据。MASc的学生将开发一个游戏化的测试协议，并评估目前的最新技术水平。博士生将开发基于计算机访问的人体运动模型。 虽然许多研究人员开发系统和算法来增加对计算机的访问，但这是第一次对运动进行建模，以便在开发算法之前更好地了解人类影响导致运动困难的因素。一个真正普遍设计的系统可以提高不同人口群体和接入模式的接入。

The Principles of Universal Design were introduced in the 1970s to ensure equal access for people with impairments. However, these principles focused primarily on mobility issues and they lack guidelines for development of computer access tools to engage individuals with planning and motor disabilities. I intend to fill this gap by developing a framework to support assistive technology design that enables effective computer access. This will allow individuals with disabilities greater participation in society. My research will include development of a model that accounts for physical, planning and motor control aspects of human movement. We will further develop a universally designed algorithm that improves point and click computer access for people with motor control impairment. Research into computer access mechanisms can provide fundamental insights into the sources of movement differences among people, devices, conditions, and impairment levels. We propose to develop a gamified testing environment that allows us to collect information about movement times, strategies, and trajectories from people with and without impairment. Gamified environments are designed to motivate participants to achieve specific goals, in this case, quick, accurate movements towards a target. We have shown that simple movement models are not representative for individuals with disability and more complex models are required. These models will provide the basis for understanding complex coordination patterns of individuals with disability and may contribute to more fundamental research regarding dynamic systems theory. Given different mechanisms and modes of access, we can create models of human movement that include characteristics common to users with impairments (erroneous clicking, target slip-offs, large ballistic movements). These models will serve to identify specifications and requirements for which a universally applicable algorithm can be developed to enhance computer use, for example, one that may decrease cursor speed as the cursor gets closer to a target. HQP training of five undergraduate (UG) students, two MASc students and four PhD students will occur. Each will become skilled in communicating with stakeholders and evidence-based research. The UG students will be trained in research protocols, ethics, motion analysis systems, and will assist in collecting data. The MASc students will develop a gamified testing protocol and evaluate the current state of the art. The PhD students will develop models of human movement based on computer access. While many researchers develop systems and algorithms to increase access to computers, this is the first to model the movements to better understand what human effects contribute to movement difficulties before developing an algorithm. A truly universally designed system can enhance access for differing population groups and access modes.