End user programming and context responsiveness in handheld prompting systems for persons with cognitive disabilities and caregivers

ABSTRACT

Providing instructions via handheld prompters holds much promise for supporting independence for persons with cognitive disabilities. Because users of these tools are paired - caregivers who make scripts and a person with cognitive disabilities who uses them - designing such a system presents unique meta-design problems. The problems of changing content and configuration on a handheld computer, as needs and abilities change of the users with cognitive disabilities, produce a critical need for end-user programming tools. This paper describes the design and testing of the MAPS (Memory Aiding Prompting System) system, consisting of a handheld prompter and a multimedia editing tool for script creation, storage, and modification. The unique meta-design challenges of supporting end-user programming of context-responsive systems, and its broader implications, are presented.

REFERENCES

• 1: The American Association on Mental Retardation, AAMR definition of Mental Retardation. 1992
• 2: Philips, B. and H. Zhao, Predictors of assistive technology abandonment. Assistive Technology, 1993. 5: p. 36--45.
• 3: Reimer-Reiss, M. Assistive Technology Discontinuance. in Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. 2000.
• 4: Kintsch, A. and R. dePaula. A Framework for the Adoption of Assistive Technology. in SWAAAC 2002: Supporting Learning Through Assistive Technology. 2002. Winter Park, CO: Assistive Technology Partners.
• 5: Suchman, L.A., Plans and Situated Actions. 1987, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
• 6: King, T., Assistive Technology - Essential Human Factors. 1999, Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
• 7: Lancioni, G., et al., Evaluation of a Computer-aided System Providing Pictorial Task Instructions and Prompts to People with Severe Intellectual Disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 1999. 43(1): p. 61--66.
• 8: Baesman, B., The Visions System. 2001 http://www.thevisionssystem.com
• 9: AbleLink, Visual Impact memory and skill prompter. 2002 http://www.ablelinktech.com/
• 10: Jönsson, B., Isaac project. 2003, Certec.http://www.english.certec.lth.se/Isaac/
• 11: Snell, M.E., Systematic Instruction of Persons with Severe Handicaps. 1987, Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Publishing Company.
• 12: Fischer, G., Meta-Design: Beyond User-Centered and Participatory Design, in Proceedings of HCI International 2003, J.J.a.C. Stephanidis, Editor. 2003, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ: Crete, Greece, June 2003. p. 88--92.
• 13: Anthony Savidis , Constantine Stephanidis, Developing dual user interfaces for integrating blind and sighted users: the HOMER UIMS, Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems, p.106-113, May 07-11, 1995, Denver, Colorado, United States [doi>10.1145/223904.223918]
• 14: Lewis, C. and J. Rieman, Task-Centered User Interface Design: A Practical Introduction. 1993, University of Colorado, Boulder: Boulder, Colorado.ftp://ftp.cs.colorad.o.edu/pub/cs/distribs/clewis/HCI-Design-Book
• 15: BVSD, Boulder Valley School District 2004 http://www.bvsd.k12.co.us
• 16: Imagine! Imagine! 2004 www.imaginecolorado.org
• 17: Rogers, E.M., Diffusion of Innovations. Fourth ed. 1995, New York, NY: The Free Press of Glencoe.
• 18: Reason, J., Human Error. 1990, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
• 19: Gorman, A., LifeLine 2004 http://l3d.cs.colorado.edu/clever/projects/lifeline.html

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: User-centered design

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.2 Social Issues
          Subjects: Assistive technologies for persons with disabilities

Keywords:
assistive technology, context aware mobile systems, end-user programming, technology abandonment