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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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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). […]

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 […]

Working with industry, community, and LIS partners to create hands-on learning opportunities for students and revolutionize curriculum. Since its founding more than 50 years ago, the University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool) Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program has produced library and information professionals who are experts and innovators in utilizing […]

Dr. Paul Jaeger describes how 30 years after its passing, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) has opened many doors for students and faculty with disabilities at UMD. In the Maryland Today article, “Pushing for Access” by Chris Carroll, Carroll interviews Professor at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool) Paul Jaeger about the […]

The UMD iSchool Trace Research and Development Center is taking up the challenge of accessibility work during the pandemic. In the face of COVID-19 and the nearly overnight shift to mandatory online and virtual interactions, the topic of digital accessibility for people with disabilities has a greatly increased importance. Companies,organizations, government agencies, universities, and schools […]

The Teachable Object Recognizer mobile application uses AI and machine learning to help access the visual world. Spending more time at home due to the pandemic, many of us are occupied with more indoor activities than before. From cooking and crafts to household projects, we interact with everyday objects, new and old, from packages of food to […]

Dr. Jonathan Lazar, Professor at the University of Maryland (UMD) College of Information Studies (iSchool), was honored Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at the annual UMD Research Excellence Celebration – receiving the Exemplary Researcher award for his significant contributions to making technology and digital content more accessible for people with disabilities. The UMD Research Excellence Celebration […]

Published in Maryland Today Morphic, a new computer operating system extension developed by iSchool researchers, includes an interface feature called the QuickStrip that improves accessibility by adjusting text size or spacing, reading text aloud and more. Information science major Meagan Griffith ’20 spends so much time peering at a computer for her studies that she […]

Bern’s drive to foster and enhance accessibility technologies led him to his current role as an Assistant Research Scientist at our Trace Center. He transitioned to UMD in 2016 when the Trace Center moved to the UMD iSchool from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Engineering, where Bern obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Bern […]

The University of Maryland College of Information Studies (UMD iSchool) Principal Lecturer Dr. Renee Hill has been named a recipient of the prestigious 2020 Accessibility Inclusion Fellowship Award presented by the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). Through this award, Hill will work with the NFB to develop and enhance curriculum in the areas of accessibility, diversity, and inclusion at the […]