Co-Directors: Dr. Stephanie Ludi, Department of Software Engineering

Dr. Vicki L. Hanson, Information Sciences and Technology

Contact information: salvse@rit.edu / vlh@rit.edu

ITL specializes in the research and development of technologies to support disabled users and older adults. We seek to provide solutions that include these users who are too often excluded or misunderstood during the design process.  We also develop novel solutions to problems faced by these individuals.

Training for students and post-doctoral researchers

Undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral research assistants collaborate on these projects. Students gain new technical and research skills while contributing to the overall goals of the lab. Cross-project collaboration is encouraged, as well as participation in related outreach activities.

Example projects include:

• AccessBraille: a mobile version of a Braillewriter that provides blind children learning Braille the opportunity to practice writing and vocabulary with a set of iOS apps. The keyboard framework is flexible for the user and is designed to be used in other apps.
• AccessMath: a multi-department effort to enable students with low vision to be able to view Math lecture in real-time using an iPad to view the presentation and to capture notes.
• IECS (Inclusive Exploring Computer Science): a curriculum and tool re-engineering effort to enable visually impaired students to participate in the nationally used ECS curriculum.
• Indoor Orientation for the Blind using Situational Awareness Design

• Portrait:  multimedia tablet software for nursing home staff to help staff get to know about the lives of residents with dementia

• BESiDE:  a multidisciplinary project involving architects, designers, computing researchers and medical providers, this research seeks to transform care environments through design improvements in the built environment and technology