IBM works to improve PC access for the disabled By: Terry Costlow EE Times (01/21/00, 2:04pm EST) Advances in interfaces have made it simpler for nearly everyone to use computers over the past several years, and the disabled have benefited from many of these developments. Efforts to make computers and the Internet even more accessible are continuing, helping the handicapped in both their personal lives and the workplace. In all kinds of research programs within the many operations of IBM Corp., engineers try to figure out how to make computers accessible for those who can't easily use available interfaces. As prices come down on products like PC-oriented cameras, they can be melded with software to create cost-effective data-entry subsystems, for example. "One of our researchers, Rick Kjeldsen, has developed a suite of tools," said Peter Fairweather, senior manager at IBM's Accessibility Research Institute (Yorktown Heights, NY). "One of them has recently come out through Edmark, an IBM company." The tools "use computer vision to build an interface for a person without the means to communicate with the computer," he said. "It replaces the switch systems used by many people." A cerebral palsy victim now might push a button with his head, for example. With the new IBM system, a camera follows small movements, so the user's tender forehead isn't continually pressing the button. "If you can only move your head and can't speak, you've got to have some sort of typing device," Fairweather said. "We've set up a device so when you move your head in one direction and then back, it will tab to the position you want. Then you move your head to another position to say, 'Yes, that's my choice.' That's much better than using a mechanical device, which is awkward, gets out of adjustment and actually hurts after a while." This system follows the widespread acceptance of screen readers, which let those with visual impairments interact with a graphical user interface. Other data-entry systems like speech recognition let others benefit from the explosion in digital technologies. Now that these technologies have become commonplace for those who need them, IBM is altering the focus of its Special Needs group. In the past, Big Blue has spoken mostly to those with various disabilities. That's a necessity, but the disabled are also a fairly obvious target. Now that those efforts have reached something of a critical mass, the strategy is addressing a group that can provide some big benefits for the disabled. "One of the things we've switched a bit, after we looked at where IBM's strengths lie, was with our new site and new ad campaign. Now, we're focusing on human-resource executives," said Paul Snayd, program director at IBM Somers (Somers, NY). "Many of them are not aware of the technology that's there. If they realize there are solutions there, and people with vast amounts of talent, it will help everyone. HR managers will be less reluctant; they'll be more active hiring people with disabilities." Late last year, IBM's Special Needs Group set up a new Web site. The site was designed to show HR managers available solutions, in the hope that they will be increasingly willing to hire the handicapped as they see more and more of them on the job. Though HR managers are often crying for employees, observers suggest, some find it easier to shy away from the disabled, partly out of fear of the unknown. One concern has been the cost of providing pricey equipment. Screen readers that tell the visually impaired what's on their display, for example, used to cost more than $1,000. But it's no longer necessary to spend as much on the interface system as on the computer itself. "In general, to accommodate a person with disabilities is not expensive," said John Steger, program manager at IBM's Watson Research Center (Yorktown Heights, NY). "Screen readers are only $200 to $500. We want HR people to know this." While saying that some HR managers are reluctant to hire disabled workers, the IBM managers note that those who understand the benefits of hiring them don't really look at the disabled differently than they do other job candidates. "I don't think HR managers look at the disabled as a way to hire cheaper employees," Snayd said. "We just went through some bidding for a researcher, and one of the top offers went to a gent who had just gotten his Ph.D. He is a blind individual." Internet challenge The Internet is one of the mainstays of this new marketing thrust, raising other issues. The disabled must be able to navigate in the cyber world, which is using more and more graphics and sounds, and that problem will only get worse. "With Internet 2's additional capabilities, there will be new challenges," Steger said. "It will carry a lot of multimedia, and that has to be provided for in a number of fashions. The deaf need to 'hear' the audio and blind people need to know what the image is." On the upside, many of those involved with the many specifications that make up the Internet 2 are also thinking about accessibility. Companies like Sun Microsystems, which has made accessibility a key aspect of Java, are putting in hooks that make it simpler for accessible products to pull data from Web pages. "IBM is changing its concept," Steger said. "We're no longer looking strictly at assisted technology. The world is smaller now, and we want to put access in all of IBM's products. We have changed the paradigm to drive the entire corporation to consider access in all of our products." That will sometimes mean putting in software hooks, while other times it will involve hardware hooks, Steger said. Providing easy ways to add peripherals that meet the needs of people with various disabilities helps keep costs down without blocking the disabled from adapting a system to their needs. "Since this directive became official a few months ago, we've gotten calls from developers asking how they can do this," Snayd said. "They aren't saying they can't do this or it's too expensive; they're asking how they can put in the hooks. We aren't trying to force things where they aren't needed. There isn't any need to put a Braille printer on all devices, but we do need people to put in the hooks to add a Braille printer." Broad targets On an internal Web site, IBM developers can go through a checklist to make sure they have included the necessary features. The response from across IBM's divisions has been positive enough that Snayd feels it won't be much longer before it's a rare product introduction that isn't accessible to everyone. "We expect that by August of this year, most of our products will be prepared for this. We want all our products to be accessible at that point," Snayd said. As these and other changes emerge, researchers note that they don't benefit only the disabled: While curb cuts help those in wheelchairs to cross streets, they also are a boon to bicyclists and skateboarders. Similarly, interfaces with cameras to watch a user may someday become a common interface technology used by the masses. It's already happened with other technologies. "One of the reasons speech recognition was developed was for people who can't use their hands," Snayd said. "Now it's become a mainstream product." Snayd and Steger noted that other techniques might some day reach the mainstream. IBM researchers are exploring techniques that will make it easier for the handicapped to use computers. "We're looking at gesturing technology, which will allow a person with minimal movement to do things. Rolling their finger down a tiny bit will move the cursor down," Snayd said. "We're also looking at wearable PCs," Steger said. "When speech recognition is at the point where it does not have to be trained, a deaf person could wear glasses that display the text of what's being said." One of the keys for these longer-term developments is keeping the customer in mind. Many researchers involved in IBM's projects have disabilities, but even the insight they provide often isn't enough. The development engineers often tap IBM experts in certain technologies for help, and they often turn to the disabled for input on their requirements. As always, they're trying to learn how to create the most effective solutions. "Our core people are not just technologists," Fairweather said. "We are students of disabilities, students of human behavior. We spend a lot of time working with people who are disabled to make sure we're on the right track. It's not an uncommon mistake for a technologist to think he has the solution. But often we can make a mistake, or sometimes we will overlook the benefit of a technology." "We have made major strides in the past several years, but there's lots more to come," Snayd said. http://www.eet.com/story/career/timespeople/OEG20000121S0027