A Computing Education for the

Vision Impaired
Iain Murray
Curtin University of Technology
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Laboratory
Introduction
Objectives
Learning environments
What is the Cisco Network Academy
Program?


Rehabilitation Engineering is the systematic
application of engineering sciences to design,
develop, adapt, test, evaluate, apply, and
distribute technological solutions to problems
confronted by individuals with disabilities in
functional areas, such as mobility,
communications, hearing, vision, and cognition,
and in activities associated with employment,
independent living, education, and integration
into the community.
(US Rehabilitation Act of 1973)
Objective
Develop systems and methodologies to
assist people with sensory disabilities to
gain access to education and technology

Resources
Rehabilitation Engineering Research Laboratory
Researchers
3 academic staff
1 technical staff
6 Postgraduate students
2 Masters and 4 PhD
Over 30 Honours students (4th & 5th year engineering)
Industry & consumer advisors
Changing Learning Environment
Educational content delivery is changing
On-line eLearning
Instructor led
Distance learning
Supplemental material
People with disabilities (particularly vision)
Being left behind
Reliance on visiocentric material
Multimedia
E.g. Click and drag

Changing Learning Environment
This requires a change in thinking
Ensure effective content delivery to ALL
students irrespective of learning style or
physical ability
Cisco Access for the Vision Impaired (CAVI)

Cisco Network Academy Program
The Networking Academy program is an
e-learning model that delivers Web-based
educational content, online testing,
student performance tracking, and
instructor training and support, as well as
hands-on labs. (Cisco,2002)

Cisco Network Academy Program
(CNAP)
10,312 Academies
162 Countries
494,063 Students
278,005 Graduates
14 vision impaired students
All in Perth
Cisco Network Academy Program
(CNAP)
Several programs
CCNA, CCNP, FNS, FWN, ITE, UNIX etc
CAVI covers IT Essentials and CCNA only
The CNAP is a comprehensive program
designed to teach students computer,
Internet & networking technology skills.
Why CNAP?
Router/switch configuration is text based
Network topologies are logical not physical
Network administration does not require
mobility
Orientation and mobility training is time
consuming and expensive
New employment opportunities
The Students
Age range from 18 to 55
Range of technical ability/experience
14 Legally blind in total
5 have no useful vision
Light perception or less
3 require screen reader access
Cannot read a monitor
5 can access a computer with screen enhancement
May just require contrast or specific colour schemes
1 deaf/blind
Has limited tunnel vision and profoundly deaf
Communicates through Auslan and whiteboard
Cisco Network Academy Program
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Cisco Network Academy Program
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Current Access Methods
For low vision users.
Screen enlargement.
Zoomtext, Magic.
Screen review programs.
Jaws, Slimware, Artic.
Two output methods - speech and Braille displays.
Screen review software must rely on text output.
Tactile Graphics
PIAF
Printed Braille and Audio recordings
Access Methods
Other Disabilities
Quadriplegics.
Morse, Eye tracking, scan boards.
Emphasis on keyboard/mouse replacement issues.
Deaf.
Subtitles, visual alerts, transcription of
conferences/video.
Many others.

CAVI Project Description
Develop a method of course delivery to
vision impaired students
Standard Curriculum
Existing lab bundles
CCNA & IT Essentials initially
Long term aim to include other academy programs
Create a bridge between the curriculum and
assistive technology
Includes instructor training
Curriculum Access
Use text documents
Explain diagrams
Stress important but uniquely difficult points
The OSI model
Layer 2 technologies
Tactile objects
Network dominoes
Pipe cleaners
Function Generator
CAVI
Describe the difficulties that vision impaired
students face
Investigate how students with severe vision
impairment can utilize cognitive and perceptual
properties of non-visual sensory modalities to
learn (as compared to sighted students)
Develop new visualisation techniques
Develop a novel multimodal user interface
Explicitly designed to deliver technology and
engineering skills to vision impaired students
Investigate how these new technologies may be
incorporated into future systems
Haptic Displays
Mouse-type Devices

Earcons
Earcons were first proposed by Meera Blattner in
1989.
They are abstract, musical tones that can be
used in structured combinations to create
auditory messages.
"non-verbal audio messages that are used in the
computer/user interface to provide information
to the user about some computer object,
operation or interaction"
They are based on musical sounds.
AsTeR
Audio System For Technical Readings
A computing system for rendering technical
documents in audio
Developed by T.V. Raman
Number Systems & Subnetting
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The OSI Model
Network Dominoes
Other Props
Braille Display
Diagrams
Host A sends SYN (seq =x)
Host B receives SYN (seq=x) and sends SYN(seq=y,
ack=x+1)
Host A Receives SYN (seq=y, ack = x+1) and sends ACK
(ack = y+1)
Host B Receives ACK (ack = y+1)
Other CAVI Applications
Speech Friendly Packet Sniffer
Braille Transcription Software
Router Simulator
XML to Descriptive Text

Progress
First Class
Mid way through CCNA 2
Improved self confidence
Modifications to the course are being finalised
Second Class
Progressing much more rapidly
Modified curriculum is working
Conclusion
Cavi Project is a test bench
Includes most of the devices/techniques currently
being researched
Final outcome
Deliver an Academy in a Box
For Academies that wish to teach vision impaired students
Two of the first students are now qualified as
instructors in the Academy Program

Questions?
http://www.ece.curtin.edu.au/~iain/accessibility
http://cisco.netacad.net
http://www.avcc.edu.au/content.asp?page=/policies_progr
ams/equity/index.htm
www.tiresias.org (John Gill)

Some of the Students
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Current Research Projects
Cisco Access for the Vision Impaired (CAVI)
Curtin University Brailler (CUB)
Wireless Stereo Headset
Parakeet -Apple OS X Accessibility
iView - Classroom Aid for Low Vision Students
Dasher
Auslan to Text
Currency Identifier for the Blind
Braille Scanner
Ultrasonic White Cane/Seeing with Sound
7 Segment reader and colour sensor
The Target Demographic
In Western Australia
8,800 legally blind
Nearly 2,400 under 65
The Association for the Blind
75 new clients each month
411 clients per year in technology training
(ABWA annual report 2001)
Extrapolate to the world market
Third world countries have higher rates of vision
impairment
Disability Discrimination Act
DDA is administered by the Human rights and
Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC).
Accepts that some differential treatment is
unavoidable.
Commonwealth Departments and Agencies must
develop action plans.
Emerging DDA standards on Electronic
Communication.

Curtin University Brailler (CUB)
Perkins Brailler
Mechanical only
Mountbatten Brailler
Electronic, very old technology
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Braille Scanner
Aimed at Sighted non-Braille Readers
Converts Braille to Expanded Text in real
time
A Secure Dual Channel Wireless
Headset for Multi-user
Environments
Funded by Dept. of Training
Science & Technology Grant
Joint Project
Association for the Blind WA
RAC (WA)

Proof of Concept Prototype
Dual channel, two-
way, high quality, low
power infrared headset
prototype which has
been field tested by
the ABWA and
certified.
DSP based system
Upgradeable, flexible
Ultra Low Power
Secure comms
Current BOM < $150
IR TxRxs < $3
Cellular Architecture
Current Form Ideal Form
The Future
Infrared / 802.1x Hybrid
Keep low power, security, and bandwidth benefits of
infrared, but combine with 802.11g to overcome
infrared mobility issue.
Commercialisation
Packaging
Alternative markets
Navy
Parakeet
The project involves designing, building and
testing a screen reader application for Mac OS X
operating system.
A screen reader is an application that allows a vision-
impaired person to use a graphical user interface by
providing audible feedback in the form of speech.
The screen reader interrogates the actions of the
user via the Accessibility APIs and produces
speech output using the text-to-speech (TTS)
APIs.
Both of these APIs are provided by Apple as part of
Mac OS X.
Dasher
Information-efficient text-entry interface
driven by natural continuous pointing gestures.
operating a computer one-handed
with zero hands (i.e., by head-mouse or by eyetracker).
The eyetracking version of Dasher allows an
experienced user to write text as fast as normal
handwriting - 25 words per minute; using a mouse,
experienced users can write at 39 words per minute.
Auslan to Text
Auslan to Text

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Currency Identifier
Australian Polymer notes are of a similar size
Hard to distinguish denomination if totally blind
Utilises the unique pattern in the clear window
Ultrasonic White Cane
Augments the standard long cane
Warns of
Head height obstructions
Drop off (e.g. Stairs)
Simple user interface
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