Games have traditionally had a high barrier to entry because they necessitate unique input devices, fast reaction times, high motor skills, and more. There has recently been a push to change the design process of these games to include people with disabilities so they can interact with the medium of games as well. This thesis examines the current guiding principles of accessible design, who they are being developed by, and how they might help guide future accessible design and development. Additionally, it will look at modern games with accessibility features and classify them in terms of the Game Accessibility Guidelines. Then, using an interview with a lead developer at a game studio as aid, there will be an examination into modern game industry practices and what might be holding developers or studios back when it comes to accessible design. Finally, further suggestions for these developers and studios will be made in order to help them and others improve in making their games more accessible to people with disabilities.
This dissertation outlines various applications to improve accessibility and independence for visually impaired people during shopping by helping them identify products in retail stores. The dissertation includes the following contributions; (i) A dataset containing images of breakfast-cereal products and a classifier using a deep neural (ResNet) network; (ii) A dataset for training a text detection and scene-text recognition model; (iii) A model for text detection and scene-text recognition to identify product images using a user-controlled camera; (iv) A dataset of twenty thousand products with product information and related images that can be used to train and test a system designed to identify products.
The goal of this study was to gain insights from adults on the autism spectrum regarding their recommendations for improving the accessibility of stores and restaurants. Four adults who indicated that they had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or Asperger’s Syndrome volunteered to participate in a qualitative interview. The questions that participants were asked centered around their experiences in stores and restaurants, current accessibility guidelines, the impact of COVID-19 on their experiences, and their recommendations for increased accessibility. Recommendations fell into two main categories: changes to the environment and accommodations that could be provided. Participants suggested multiple ways to reduce their sensitivities to noise in stores and restaurants like lowering the music, creating a quiet hour, or providing noise cancelling headphones. Further efforts are needed to fully understand the issue of accessibility for autistic individuals.
This study aims to gain knowledge on how sequence patterns in node graphs can be perceived through speech and nonspeech audio. Users listened to short audio clips describing a sequence of transitions occurring in a node graph. User study results were evaluated based on accuracy and user feedback. Five common techniques were identified through the study, and the results will be used to help design a node graph tool to improve accessibility of node graph creation and exploration for individuals that are blind or visually impaired.