Abstract
Considering the importance of Internet-based communications in our society, the lack of Instant Messaging (IM) services adapted to individuals with cognitive disabilities who have difficulties using written language creates a situation of exclusion that has a negative impact on their daily lives. To alleviate this situation we present Messenger Visual, an IM service that uses pictograms as the main communication system. Along the paper we introduce the main design aspects of an IM service to support pictogram-based communications, as well as the design and evaluation aspects of an IM client that takes into account both the pictogram-based communication and the user interface accessibility requirements of individuals with cognitive disabilities.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
World Health Organization. World report on disability, http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/concept_note_2010.pdf
Atkinson, R., Castro, D.: Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal and Social Benefits from the Information Technology Revolution. In: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (October 2008)
Glinert, E., York, B.: Computers and People with Disabilities. ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing 1(2) (October 2008)
LoPrestri, E., Bodine, C., Lewis, C.: Assistive Technology for Cognition: Understanding the Needs of Persons with Disabilities. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine 27(2), 29–39 (2008)
Gregor, P., Dickinson, A.: Cognitive difficulties and access to information systems: an interaction design perspective. Journal of Universal Access to Information Society 5, 393–400 (2007)
Todis, B., Sohlberg, M., Hood, D., Fickas, S.: Making electronic mail accessible: Perspectives of people with acquired cognitive impairments, caregivers and professionals. Brain Injury Journal 19(6), 389–401 (2005)
Poulson, D., Nicolle, C.: Making the Internet accessible for people with cognitive and communication impairments. Universal Access Information Society 3(1), 48–56 (2004)
Jennings, R., Nahum, E., Olshefski, D., Saha, D., Shae, Z., Waters, C.: A Study of Internet Instant Messaging and Chat Protocols. IEEE Network, 16–21 (July/August 2006)
Saint-Andre, P.: Streaming XML with Jabber/XMPP. IEEE Internet Computing, 82–89 (September/October 2005)
Glennen, S., DeCoste, D.: Handbook of Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Singular Publishing Group, San Diego (1998)
IETF. Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol: Core (RFC3920), http://tools.ietf.org/pdf/rfc3920.pdf (last accessed on January 7, 2011)
Sears, R., van Ingen, C., Gray, J.: To BLOB or Not To BLOB: Large Object Storage in a Database or a Filesystem? Technical Report (June 2006)
Tuset, P., Barberán, P., Janer, L., Delgado, S., Buscà, E., Vilà, N.: Messenger Visual: A pictogram-based IM service to improve communications among disabled people. In: NordiCHI 2010: 6th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, pp. 797–800 (October 2010)
Mayer-Johnson: Boardmaker Software Family, http://www.mayer-johnson.com/products/boardmaker-software/
Aragonese Portal of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ARASAAC), http://www.catedu.es/arasaac/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Tuset, P., López, J.M., Barberán, P., Janer, L., Cervelló-Pastor, C. (2011). Designing Messenger Visual, an Instant Messaging Service for Individuals with Cognitive Disability. In: Bravo, J., Hervás, R., Villarreal, V. (eds) Ambient Assisted Living. IWAAL 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6693. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21303-8_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21303-8_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-21302-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-21303-8
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)