Here's another interview featuring Sina: http://www.eyesonsuccess.net/eos_1314_podcast.mp3
Best, On 9/10/13, Renuka Warriar Edakkunni <eren...@gmail.com> wrote: > Nice and encouraging post. Hope this will eventually change the > prospects of the visually challenged in the developing world and make > them more and more acceptable to the society. > Renuka. > > On 9/11/13, Kotian, H P <hpkot...@rbi.org.in> wrote: >> Friends >> This forward would continue to kick off interest in science subjects.Read >> on >> Harish Kotian >> >> >> >> From: Mujtaba Merchant [mailto:mujta...@gmail.com] >> Sent: 11 September 2013 07:29 >> To: Mujtaba Merchant >> Subject: A Blind Researcher Takes Aim at the Future of Accessible Tech >> >> Got this article from a blog shared by a friend that works with >> accessibility in my company. Worth the share and read! >> >> A blind Ph.D. student studying computer science at North Carolina State >> University, Sina Bahram is doing innovative research to take >> human-computer >> interaction to the next level. He's working on an application for >> eyes-free >> exploration of graphical information that he hopes will change the way >> people interact with devices, and will facilitate collaboration between >> individuals with visual impairments, like himself, and their sighted >> peers. >> In a recent interview with us, Mr. Bahram shared details about his >> research, >> an insight into the exciting future of accessible technology, and a bit >> about his personal history with Learning Ally. >> >> Bahram's interest in accessible technology has been piqued for as long as >> he >> can remember, even tracing back to when he was a young student trying to >> decipher how Learning Ally's audiobook cassette recordings provided tones >> for page and chapter indication. He used audiobooks extensively through >> middle school, taking a multisensory approach to reading science >> textbooks >> by reading braille and listening to the audio at the same time. Then >> throughout high school and undergraduate school, he incorporated >> increasingly sophisticated technologies into his toolbox. His interest in >> accessible tech and computers as an instrument for his personal success >> developed into a desire to research and design future generations of >> technology, which is exactly what he is working on now. >> >> The system he's developing is called TIKISI, which stands for touch it, >> key >> it, speak it, referring to the fact that there are multiple ways of >> accessing the information, which is known as a multimodal interface. This >> means you're using different types of interactions-both touch and >> speech-to >> give and get information from the computer. >> >> "This technology can obviously have a lot of benefit for someone who's >> blind," Bahram says. "But there's also the principle of universal design >> here. The application could be useful for anyone. Think about driving a >> car >> and not having to look at a touch screen in order to use it." >> >> TIKISI has particular value to STEM subjects, which make frequent use of >> maps, charts, graphs, diagrams, and other visual representations of data, >> because it uses multi-modal interaction. >> >> "One of the first applications of TIKISI is an overlay for Google Maps," >> Bahram explains. "I was tired of opening a map and hearing nothing from >> my >> screen reader. The TIKISI application registers where you're touching the >> map and reads back information. There are multiple overlays to switch >> between depending on what information you want to hear, for example, city >> names or coordinates. The screen is very sensitive, so you can get highly >> detailed feedback and use a variety of gestures to trigger different >> responses. There is also a user-controlled grid that can be dialed in or >> out >> to give more or less pinpointed information." >> >> >> "It would be a big step forward if blind people no longer had to depend >> on >> niche products." >> >> This level of interactivity has yet to be seen in mainstream devices. >> "Current accessible technologies have made a lot of progress in recent >> years, but haven't yet fully evolved for modern interfaces. For example, >> the >> screen-reader and related accessibility features built into Apple devices >> work great for text and standard user interface components but lack the >> ability to interactively navigate images. Incorporating more concepts >> from >> human-computer interaction research is the next logical step in the >> evolution of accessible tech." Working in the rapidly changing world of >> technology, part of Bahram's job is to anticipate what the next major >> developments and trends will be, and then to help implement them. He's >> optimistic about future technologies and their implications for the >> visually >> impaired. "In the next five years, I foresee an accelerated integration >> between our everyday lives and the technologies we use. If you go back, >> telephones used to be wired to the house; then they were mobile and you >> were >> able to carry them around, but they were still primarily telephones. Then >> when smartphones entered the market, we were able to take the internet >> with >> us. Now technology like Apple's SIRI is ubiquitous, where people can ask >> simple questions of their devices. It's not to the point where people can >> speak normally and conversationally with their devices, but this tech is >> improving. I think people are going to get more and more comfortable >> interacting with technology in a direct and personalized way." >> >> Bahram also believes the paradigm of how and where we use computers will >> change. >> >> "We're seeing the form factor of technology evolve. Currently, so much of >> our mobile human-computer interaction is centered around phones. Now >> things >> like Google Glass, a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted >> display, >> are being developed. Google Glass has great potential to help the blind >> population. I encourage Google and others to consider accessibility when >> making design and policy decisions in the future. This new wave of >> accessibility-aware mobile devices could easily help with real-time face >> detection, street level navigation, barcode scanning, and so much more. I >> think having your computer help you with things in the real world is >> going >> to be the main focus in tech over the next five years." As it continually >> advances, accessible technology can greatly help blind people secure >> employment and collaborate with their sighted peers. >> >> >> "As more eyes-free, interactive technology is incorporated into >> mainstream >> devices, collaboration between individuals with visual impairments and >> their >> sighted peers will become a reality." >> >> "Underemployment is a problem we've had for a while. Underrepresentation >> of >> blind people in the STEM fields, for example, is an issue that a lot of >> folks have been concentrating on. I'm hoping technology like TIKISI will >> help by bringing earlier access to blind kids, before they're turned off >> of >> math and science. Another aspect is interaction with technology. >> Currently, >> it's difficult for blind students and professionals to collaborate with >> their sighted peers, simply because they can't access tools and equipment >> in >> the same way. This is why, moving forward, it's important for mainstream >> devices to be accessible. If you can use the necessary tools, you're much >> more employable because there are not all of those immediate obstacles. So >> I >> would say the solution lies in education-that might be cliché, but >> there's >> 100 percent truth in it-accessible tools, and incorporating universal >> design >> into mainstream technology. It would be a big step forward if blind >> people >> no longer had to depend on niche products."As both a successful >> professional >> in a fast-paced tech field and a blind person, Bahram has some sound >> advice >> for young blind and visually impaired students who are interested in STEM >> careers. >> >> "Go for it. A STEM career pays great, it's fun, it's exciting, and it is >> a >> huge space in which you get to compete on the merit of what you're able >> to >> do, rather than on what you're not able to do. We're moving towards this >> intellectual economy where it's going to matter more what you can do, and >> how you can use machines and technology, which is all in your brain." >> >> Pertinent to both the classroom and the workplace, Bahram says, >> "Technology >> is a really good game leveler. In the digital world, there are always >> opportunities to make things accessible. As more eyes-free, interactive >> technology is incorporated into mainstream devices, collaboration between >> individuals with visual impairments and their sighted peers will become a >> much easier reality." >> >> To contact or learn more about Sina and his research, visit his website >> at >> www.SinaBahram.com; read his blog at blog.SinaBahram.com; follow him on >> Twitter @SinaBahram, or email him at s...@sinabahram.com. >> >> https://www.learningally.org/blind-researcher-helps-define-the-future-of-accessible-tech/ >> >> Mujtaba Merchant >> Bangalore, India >> "Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going." ~ >> Jim >> Rohn >> >> Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility >> of >> mobile phones / Tabs on: >> http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >> Search for old postings at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ >> >> To unsubscribe send a message to >> accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in >> with the subject unsubscribe. >> >> To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, >> please >> visit the list home page at >> http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in >> >> >> Disclaimer: >> 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of >> the >> person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; >> >> 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the >> mails >> sent through this mailing list.. >> > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > -- -Kartik Sawhney, E-mail ID: sawhney.kar...@gmail.com (all personal E-mails); karti...@stanford.edu (all academic E-mails) Skype: kartik.sawhney22 Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/accessindia@accessindia.org.in/ To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
