News

“Including Disability” offers innovative approaches to eliminating systemic barriers and gives voice to disabled people.   Including Disability is a free, open-access journal launched earlier this week by an international team, including faculty and staff from the UMD College of Information Studies, as part of a global effort to give voices to disabled people and promote… Continue Reading iSchool Faculty and Staff Join Global Team to Launch New Publication

As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, interaction with websites and apps sometimes become the only way to access certain goods and services, leaving some older adults and people with disabilities facing significant accessibility challenges. A recent NYT article discussed the impact of bank branch closures during the covid-19 pandemic on older adults in Spain… Continue Reading Online-Only Services Offer Safety, But May Limit Access

iSchool professor and Trace affiliate faculty Dr. Niklas Elmqvist leads a team to continue work on accessible data visualization and to make a high school data science course accessible for all students with a $2 million contract from the Maryland State Department of Education.   Extracting insights from massive datasets in order to answer questions… Continue Reading Expanding the Possibilities for Accessible Data Visualization

The paper by iSchool PhD student Alisha Pradhan, iSchool assistant professor Dr. Amanda Lazar, and University of Washington’s Dr. Leah Findlater explores the potential for and challenges of this technology for older adults who use digital technology infrequently. Intelligent voice assistants like Alexa and Siri have become ubiquitous — in our homes, cars, and pockets.… Continue Reading Work on the Use of Intelligent Voice Assistants by Older Adults Wins ACM TOCHI Best Paper Award

Trace Center researchers present an overview of the first 50 years and a look forward at current and future work at the University of Maryland Disability Summit.                   The 2021 Disability Summit hosted by the University of Maryland President’s Commission on Disability Issues and the Trace R&D… Continue Reading Trace Center at 50: Accomplishments, Lessons Learned and Future Directions

Trace faculty and students contribute work and play key leadership roles at ASSETS 2021, which marks landmark 50th anniversaries for both the Trace R&D Center and SIGACCESS. The 23rd International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility – ASSETS 2021 – wrapped up last week with a record-breaking 424 registrants, including 34 members of the… Continue Reading Trace Faculty and Students Contribute to a Successful Virtual ASSETS 2021

The Trace Research & Development Center at the UMD iSchool leads new initiatives to address accessibility barriers heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into stark relief the critical importance of digital accessibility and the particularly high stakes for people with disabilities. With stay-at-home orders, extended periods of quarantine and many… Continue Reading Trace Center Directs New Digital Accessibility Research During Covid-19 Pandemic

The UMD iSchool celebrates the Trace Center’s 50th Anniversary highlighting some of its most influential technologies and industry standards developed to create a more accessible world for all. Since 1971, the Trace Research & Development Center has helped millions of people interact with the world using common everyday devices, like telephones and computers. Originally formed… Continue Reading Where in the World (Wide Web) is the Trace Center?

Developing innovative technologies, co-designing with seniors, and advocating for accessibility rights.   The University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool), home of the renowned Trace Research and Development Center, is a leader in accessible information technology, systems, and research. Strengthening resilience, self-sufficiency, and quality of life among seniors and older Americans with disabilities… Continue Reading Celebrating the UMD iSchool and Trace Center’s Commitment to Advancing Innovations for Older Populations

As a leader in the development of and advocacy for accessible information technology, systems, and research – the UMD iSchool is represented broadly in this year’s event. The 2020 International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, known as the ASSETS Conference, taking place October 26-28, is the premier forum for presenting innovative research on the… Continue Reading UMD iSchool Faculty and Students Lead the Way at the ASSETS 2020 Conference

Research experts from the UMD iSchool and School of Nursing discuss the use of and access to technology among older adults. Computers and smartphones have become important tools for everyday life, and the use of this technology continues to rise among those of all ages. However, there are still a significant number of older adults… Continue Reading (Video) engAGED: Considering Technology and Access for Older Adults Discussion

Choe, Kacorri, and A. Lazar aim to examine how older adults can personalize activity trackers through teachable interfaces to capture meaningful daily activities. University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool) researchers, in collaboration with Penn State researchers, have been awarded a four-year $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund… Continue Reading UMD iSchool Awarded NSF Grant to Design Personalized Self-Tracking Tech for Older Adults to Improve Physical Activities

Dr. Eun Kyoung Choe to work with UMass research team on project awarded $2.4 million NIH grant. AMHERST, Mass. – A University of Massachusetts Amherst health informatician is developing a mobile health (mHealth) system, leveraging a wearable sensor that slips on a finger like a ring, to monitor and encourage movement and activity in the… Continue Reading Research Will Test Finger-worn Sensor That Tracks Stroke Survivors’ Arm Movements

Dr. Jonathan Lazar was named the winner of the 2020 ACM SIGACCESS Award (Special Interest Groups on Accessible Computing) for Outstanding Contributions to Computing and Accessibility. It is the highest award given by ACM SIGACCESS. Jonathan Lazar, PhD, LLM is a professor in the College of Information Studies (iSchool) at the University of Maryland, and core faculty in the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL).… Continue Reading SIGACCESS Release: Jonathan Lazar – Outstanding Contribution Recipient 2020

Gregg Vanderheiden proposes an alternate approach to accessibility and extended usability for next-next generation UI/UX. Gregg Vanderheiden, Professor and Director of the Trace R&D Center at the University of Maryland’s iSchool, delivered the keynote address at the 22nd International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. He highlighted a growing gap between current UI and UX design and people… Continue Reading Gregg Vanderheiden delivers Keynote at International Human Computer Interface Conference