Universal access to information for people with disabilities: The future exists today at the Archimedes Project From: The Catalyst: The Newsletter of Western Center for Microcomputers in Special Education - Spring 2002 http://home.earthlink.net/~thecatalyst By: Sue Swezey What if the brightest college students and the most innovative thinkers in technology joined forces to solve accessibility issues? The results might be nothing short of revolutionary for people with disabilities. In fact, tremendously exciting ideas are being generated at this moment through the Archimedes Project at Stanford University. Archimedes is an offshoot of Stanford's Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI), an independent collaborative effort since 1983 between researchers from Stanford, SRI International, and Xerox PARC. The genius of CSLI is that it includes individuals from many disciplines: communication, computer science, education, linguistics, mathematics and logic, philosophy, and psychology. No stone is unturned seeking creative solutions. In this rarefied atmosphere, Archimedes' mission is to provide equal access to information for people with disabilities by influencing the design of technology to come. But brilliant ideas do not automatically become available products. First there must be working prototypes, which to the untrained eye may appear unfinished and homespun. So, at first glance, the casual observer may not realize that in a cubicle on the Stanford campus, crammed with makeshift shelving and odds and ends of computers and adaptive devices of various ages and states of disrepair, can be found some of the most intriguing solutions to accessibility issues Ä just waiting to be developed commercially. A single device for many uses To be truly accessible, adaptive devices must be durable, bombproof, and not too expensive. If the user makes progress, devices must adjust easily to accommodate a higher level of functioning. If the user's capability varies between good and bad days, the device must be flexible. A universally acceptable device must overcome problems all too familiar to people with disabffities. At present, for example, most blind users must rely upon Windows; but system upgrades can limit or shut out access, increasing frustration and decreasing employability. Students need flexible, inexpensive devices; but the approval process for costly systems can become mired in paperwork, and all too often such systems are outgrown by the time they are finally installed. Installation of some adaptive devices may exceed the technical expertise of classroom teachers; yet many teachers lack the tech support necessary for students with disabilities to succeed in inclusive classes. All of these concerns are addressed by an ingenious Archimedes project, the Total Access System (TAS), a patented concept designed to provide access to technology for the greatest number of people. No matter what your needs, the TAS allows you to control a computer with your own access technology, without altering the inner workings of the computer. The TAS concept offers many advantages: you remain mobile, since your access tools can travel with you and talk to any computer; further, you can mix and match access technology as needed. The computer, or "target machine" does not become unstable from the addition of software, and costs are kept down by "componentizing" everything, enabling you to add modules as needed to create a total interactive system. System designer is affable New Zealander Neil Scott, whom many will remember for his accomplishments at CSUN's Center for Disabilities. The Total Access System operates through the Total Access Port (TAP), a small device about the size and shape of a cigarette package, which solves a host of big problems. The TAP itself houses all the connections between access tools and computer; through its use, any adaptive device can communicate with any computer without memory-consuming software installation. Input from the user's accessing method, through the TAP, emulates a keyboard and mouse. Input devices, or accessors, can be as varied as head trackers, haptic (force-feedback) mice, eye trackers, speech recognition devices, regular mice, and keyboards. The TAP is the intermediary between computers and adaptive devices. Connection is simple; standard power cords and cables plug in both sides of the TAP. The chip inside does all the work, making software installation unnecessary. Since computers often have difficulty communicating with each other, with or without adaptive devices, a number of TAPs are available for different systems: PC TAP, Mac TAP, SGI TAP (Silicon Graphics), even a Palm TAP and X1O TAP for home automation. Best of all, a "splitting TAP" can control various computers at once, enabling the user to switch from one system to another by commands as simple as voice: "Switch to Mac, switch to SGI," etc. Other Archimedes projects Other devices fromArchimedes will benefit not only those with vision impairment but also the rapidly expanding elderly population. Another recent project, funded by CAN (Cure Autism Now), hopes to address the communication needs of the burgeoning number of students with autism. A prototype exists using picture communication, similar to PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System). More on this project in a future issue. People with disabilities are all too familiar with brilliant innovations which never proceed beyond the research phase. So far, generation and testing of concepts have relied on funding from such agencies as the National Science Foundation (NSF). But Archimedes is determined to see its projects through to fruition and commercial availability. This broader goal is the responsibility of Archimedes Access Research Technology International (AARTI), which provides a mechanism for seeking both funding and managing teams to develop the ideas and turn them into salable products. AARTI lives up to its name, involving researchers from Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK. With the creativity, dedication, and enthusiasm of Archimedes staff, the odds are favorable that great ideas will some day become great products, for the benefit of people with disabilities and eventually for us all. For further information, contact: Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI) Stanford University Cordura Hall 210 Panama St. Stanford, CA 94305-4115 Dan Gillette dangillette@mindspring.com 650/723-1710 lab 650/725-2166 fax Neil Scott ngscott@arch.stanford.edu 650/725-2774 650/725-2166 fax http://www.csli.stanford.edu http://www.archimedes.stanford.edu