There is an increased use of block-based programming environments in K-12 education and computing outreach activities to introduce novices to programming and computational thinking skills. However, despite their appealing design that allows students to focus on concepts rather than syntax, block-based programming by design is inaccessible to people with visual impairments and people who cannot use the mouse. In addition to this inaccessibility, little is known about the instructional experiences of students with visual impairments on current block-based programming environments. This dissertation addresses this gap by (1) investigating the challenges that students with visual impairments face on current block-based programming environments and (2) exploring ways in which we can use the keyboard and the screen reader to create block-based code. Through formal survey and interview studies with teachers of students with visual impairments and students with visual impairments, we identify several challenges faced by students with visual impairments on block-based programming environments. Using the knowledge of these challenges and building on prior work, we explore how to leverage the keyboard and the screen reader to improve the accessibility of block-based programming environments through a prototype of an accessible block-based programming library. In this dissertation, our empirical evaluations demonstrate that people with visual impairments can effectively and efficiently create, edit, and navigate block-based code using the keyboard and screen reader alone. Addressing the inaccessibility of block-based programming environments would allow students with visual impairments to participate in programming and computing activities where these systems are used, thus fostering inclusion and promoting diversity.

In the last few years, and especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare services have been moving online. Today, patients can book appointments with doctors and read their medical records in apps and web services. It is important that these services are equally accessible to all patients, regardless of for example disability. This study aims to identify opportunities and challenges in adapting these digital healthcare services towards increasing accessibility for screen reader users with visual impairments. Eight people with visual impairments participated in the study, whereof five had complete vision loss and three had low vision. First, the participants were interviewed about their experiences of using screen readers as well as their views on digital healthcare. Secondly, a usability test was conducted on an existing system at the online health service provider Kry. The interviews indicated that screen reader users face a lot of accessibility barriers online, and therefore might be hesitant towards using digital healthcare. Yet, accessible digital healthcare can bring positive consequences such as making people with visual impairments more independent in handling medical documents and communication with clinicians. Many of the common barriers mentioned, such as unlabelled buttons and missing alternative text for images were found in the usability test of the Kry app. Some barriers even caused dead ends, resulting in that only three out or eight tasks in the usability test were completed by all the participants. From the results of the interviews and usability test, this study proposes a set of recommendations for achieving screen reader friendly online services. The recommendations include for example prioritising simple navigation, always providing alternative text and to test with assistive technology. The recommendations are applicable to other types of services as well, although they might be extra important in the digital healthcare sector where accessibility is of extra high importance. / De senaste åren och speciellt sedan COVID-19 tog fart har delar av sjukvården börjat flytta ut på internet. Idag finns det en rad olika appar som patienter kan använda för att träffa läkare och för att läsa sina journaler. Det är väldigt viktigt att dessa tjänster är tillgängliga för alla patienter, oavsett om man till exempel har en funktionsnedsättning. Denna studie undersöker vilka möjligheter och utmaningar den digitala sjukvården står inför vad gäller tillgänglighetsanpassning för personer med synnedsättningar som använder skärmläsare. Åtta personer deltog i studien varav tre hade nedsatt syn och fem helt saknade synperception. Deltagarna blev först intervjuade om sina erfarenheter av att använda skärmläsare samt sin syn på digital vård. Efter det fick de göra ett användbarhetstest av den digitala vårdappen Kry. Intervjuerna visade att personer med synnedsättningar stöter på många olika typer av tillgänglighetsproblem på internet. Därför är vissa personer tveksamma till att använda digitala vårdtjänster. Om digitala vårdtjänster var väl anpassade för skärmläsare skulle de däremot kunna hjälpa personer med synnedsättningar att bli mer självständiga vad gäller till exempel hantering av medicinska dokument och kommunikation med läkare. Många av de vanligaste tillgänglighetsproblemen på internet, så som omärkta knappar och utebliven alternativ text, påträffades under användbarhetstestet av Kry-appen. Vissa av problemen var så pass allvarliga att de ledde till att deltagarna fastnade i appen. Detta gjorde i sin tur att endast tre av de åtta uppgifterna som var del av testet löstes av samtliga deltagare. Baserat på resultaten från intervjuerna och användbarhetstestet föreslår denna studie en rad rekommendationer för att göra digitala tjänster bättre anpassade för skärmläsare. Rekommendationerna innebär bland annat att prioritera enkel navigation, att alltid ha alternativ text till bilder samt att aktivt testa digitala tjänster med skärmläsare. Rekommendationerna är applicerbara på de flesta typer av digitala tjänster, men är extra viktiga att använda inom digital vård eftersom det måste vara tillgängligt för alla.

The intent of this thesis is to discover teaching strategies for students who have exceptionalities with a focus on students who have Autism, Down syndrome, or Visual Impairment and how these teaching strategies can be used to teach students in a mainstreamed secondary art classroom. Since the mainstreaming of the public school system has increased, students with exceptionalities have caused uncertainty among teachers about which teaching strategies to use in the classroom to meet all of their students needs. New teaching strategies need to be brought into the classroom to change the way students are learning. This thesis will include: the general facts, characteristics, accommodations, and modifications of Autism, Down syndrome, and Visual Impairment. An understanding of how students with Autism, Down syndrome, or Visual Impairment learn and what teaching strategies can be used in a secondary art classroom to provide the least restrictive learning environment to the students will be addressed. Suggested teaching strategies for students with Autism include the use of visualizations, change in pace, adaptive tools, and choosing materials wisely. For students with Down syndrome include simplification, repetition, breaking the lesson down into parts, and pacing. Students with Visual Impairment will need tactile materials, clear wording, descriptive visuals, and labeling, light, and intense color.

This design-based research provides design considerations for developing educational tools for teaching programming to blind primary schoolers, as an effort towards more inclusive classrooms, given that the tools available today are not accessible to these students. Existing tools were analyzed and tested, and co-design practices were applied in exploring ‘instructions’ as a main logic operation for computer programming, through experimenting with diverse types of interfaces, having visually impaired participants at the center of the process. Physical and mental patterns, relevant for improving the accessibility of such tools, are unveiled and further discussed in this study.

Urban mobility remains a persistent challenge for visually impaired individuals (VIIs) despite legal protections. This study provides a thorough investigation into the door-to-door mobility experiences of VIIs in urban environments and public transport systems in Helsingborg, Sweden. Methodologically, it employs a mixed qualitative methods, combining semi-structured interviews, walking interviews and observations, and document analysis to explore the complicated research topic. The study develops a three-dimensional analytical framework, namely the Universal Design, the participatory approach, and the technology options, to identify and analyse the urban mobility challenges faced by VIIs. According to the research results, it is evident that there is an urgent need of deeper urban planning engagement and continuous innovation for truly inclusive environments for VIIs. Recommendations based on this study include enhancing Universal Design integration, promoting collaboration, and utilizing digital tools to create inclusive urban spaces, ultimately aiming to empower VIIs for independent navigation and full societal participation. / Nej

This study was aimed to explore challenges of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Namibia, as narrated and illustrated by themselves. Mixed methodologies, with specific reference to a small-scale quantitative survey and extensive qualitative design were employed as tools to understand the prevalence, extent and nature of challenges of students with disabilities in their pursuance of higher education in Namibia. Data was thus collected in two phases. The first phase consisted of a ten-item quantitative-survey which was largely used to determine the prevalence of students with disabilities in higher education institutions, and basic information regarding institutional standpoints pertaining to students with disabilities. Data acquired through this survey confirmed the prevalence of students with disabilities in Namibian higher education institutions. The second phase represented the qualitative design whereby data was collected through three main methodologies namely a narrative diary-based approach, a photo-voice and individual interviews. These methodologies ensured reliability of the data through triangulation. The study confirmed that inclusive education at the higher education level in Namibia was largely achieved through the goal of access, as all higher education institutions have admitted students with observable as well as hidden disabilities. However, a major finding of the study was that support and provision for students with disabilities was rendered in fragmented portions within and across institutions, and that the goals of equity and equality have not yet been achieved to the desired degree, if inclusive education was to become a reality for students with disabilities in higher education in Namibia. Students reported challenges related to physical accessibility of institutions; unavailability of educational material in alternative, as opposed to traditional formats; lack of sensitivity and skills of staff; as well as lack of structured support systems. The study also revealed that, notwithstanding the challenges students faced in their institutions, students with disabilities continued to perform their academic duties to the best of their abilities and were driven by their individual personal philosophies, many of which spoke of perseverance and courage, to make a success of their studies. / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education) / Language Education Arts and Culture

Šiandien visos pasaulio valstybės akcentuoja neįgaliųjų integraciją, skaitmeninės atskirties mažinimą, yra kuriami socialinės integracijos įstatymai, rekomendacijos, kuriose kaip vienas iš svarbiausių punktų minimas prieinamumas. Šis prieinamumas apima ir informacijos prieigą – teisę į informaciją. Todėl, atsižvelgiant į tai, jog: 1) rega yra svarbiausias žmogaus pojūtis, o jos netekimas apsunkina informacijos prieigą bei galimybę naudotis tomis paslaugomis, kuriomis naudojasi negalios neturintys žmonės, 2) internetinė bankininkystė suteikė galimybę asmeninius finansus tvarkyti neišeinant iš namų, o tai dėl komplikuoto neregių mobilumo yra ypač jiems aktualu, 3) siekiant sumažinti skaitmeninę neregių atskirtį, yra sukurta daugybė rekomendacijų, metodikų ir pagalbinių priemonių, palengvinančių internete esančios informacijos prieigą yra aktualu išsiaiškinti, kaip Lietuvos komercinių bankų teikiamos internetinės bankininkystės paslaugos yra prieinamos regos negalią turintiems asmenims. Magistro darbo tikslas – išanalizuoti prieigos prie internetinės bankininkystės paslaugų užtikrinimą Lietuvos komerciniuose bankuose asmenims su regėjimo negalia. Šiam tikslui keliami uždaviniai yra: išnagrinėti internetinės bankininkystės paslaugas; išanalizuoti asmenų su regėjimo negalia skaitmeninės atskirties mažinimo galimybes; ištirti Lietuvoje veikiančių komercinių bankų internetinės bankininkystės paslaugų prieinamumą neregiams; išsiaiškinti, ar bankai imasi specialių priemonių tam, kad... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Nowadays, all of the world emphasizes the integration of disabled people, bridging the digital divide, is creating laws of social integration and recommendations in which accessibility is one of the key points. This includes the accessibility of information - the right to information. Therefore, given the fact that: 1) the vision is the most important human sense and its’ loss impedes the access to information and to those services which are used by people without disabilities; 2) internet banking is an opportunity to manage personal finances from home, which is especially important for blind people with complicated mobility; 3) on purpose to reduce the digital divide of blind people a lot of recommendations, methodologies and tools are created in order to facilitate access to online information; it is relevant to find out how Lithuanian commercial banks providing Internet banking services are accessible to visually impaired persons. The aim of this master work is to analyze the access to the online banking services in Lithuanian commercial banks for the people with visual disabilities. The goals of the work: to explore an online banking service; to analyze the digital divide bridging opportunities of persons with visual disabilities; to explore online banking services accessibility to the blind people in the commercial banks which operate in Lithuania; to find out whether the banks undertake special measures that their online banking services are available to people with... [to full text]

Connaître la géographie de son environnement urbain est un enjeu important pour les personnes déficientes visuelles. Des cartes tactiles en relief sont généralement utilisées mais elles présentent des limitations importantes (nombre limité d'informations, recours à une légende braille). Les nouvelles technologies permettent d'envisager des solutions innovantes. Nous avons conçu et développé une carte interactive accessible, en suivant un processus de conception participative. Cette carte est basée sur un dispositif multi-touch, une carte tactile en relief et une sortie sonore. Ce dispositif permet au sujet de recueillir des informations en double-cliquant sur certains objets de la carte. Nous avons démontré expérimentalement que ce prototype était plus efficace et plus satisfaisant pour des utilisateurs déficients visuels qu'une carte tactile simple. Nous avons également exploré et testé différents types d'interactions avancées accessibles pour explorer la carte. Cette thèse démontre l'importance des cartes tactiles interactives pour les déficients visuels et leur cognition spatiale.

This dissertation thesis focuses on life quality of visually impaired people. The aim is to give an answer to a research question which was: How an indepedent, unsupported movement activity influences the quality of life of visually impaired people. Research that is bases on defition of the basic theoretical concepts and attitudes including its terminology is realized in form of the analysis of available sources and in form of the regulated, controlled interviews. This thesis identifies the aspects of life improvement as a result of independent activity and of training of spatial orientation as well as the determinants that set and specify the extent and the degree of this improvement in the individual cases. Although nowadays, the situation and the visually impaired people s lives are being improved, it is necessary to continue this trend and to come nearer the vision of new coming inclusion. Key words: quality of life, severe visual impairment, mobility and orientation, barriers, self-care

This thesis focuses on functional assessments, visual stimulation and on offers of Centres for Early Intervention that provide services in the area of visual perception for children in early and preschool age. The goal of the thesis is to analyze interviews with workers in these centres on options and services in the area of visual aid that these centres provide for families and their children with disabilities. The first four chapters deal with theoretical background in the area of functional assessments of vision, visual stimulation and description of the group of children in early and preschool age with visual and multiple disabilities. Last but not least, these chapters also deal with organizations that provide early intervention services, their structure, composition of personnel and range of offered services. The content of the fifth chapter is a qualitative research investigation. The data were collected through interviews with instructors of visual stimulation and with an early intervention assistant. Analysis of these interviews then became basis for the subsequent definition of commendable suggestions for good practise.