Proceedings of the 12th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility

Abstract

Welcome to Orlando for ASSETS'10, the Twelfth International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility. Sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing (SIGACCESS), this conference allows for the gathering of an international research community to share information about the latest advances in the use of technology to support and include everyone in society, regardless of age, disability or situational impairment. This forum began in 1994. Since that time, the conference has grown in size, increased from being held every other year to being an annual event, added a Doctoral Consortium and the ACM Student Research Competition, and increased the research scope to include topics not even envisioned in the inaugural conference. ASSETS'10 continues the conference tradition of encouraging dialog and interaction among attendees. The single-track format of presentations and posters, combined with the conference social events, provides numerous opportunities for participants to engage in technical inquiry as well informal conversation. This year's call for papers attracted researchers worldwide, with submissions from Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The technical program of 28 podium presentations was selected from among 96 submissions that were peer-reviewed by a distinguished international program committee. The papers are representative of the field, covering a spectrum of issues ranging from basic research to specialized devices and training to aid computer access and daily living. Chairing the selection of 39 posters and demonstrations, Yeliz Yesilada worked with the program committee to bring to the conference a collection of presentations that feature late-breaking results and work in progress. The Keynote speaker, Professor Albert Cook, is the 2010 recipient of the SIGACCESS Award for Outstanding Contributions to Computing and Accessibility. ACM SIGACCESS is committed not only to promoting accessibility research, but also to developing the next generation of researchers in the field. To this end, ASSETS'10 provides two forums for students. The Doctoral Consortium, chaired this year by Matt Huenerfauth, takes place the day before the main conference and provides an opportunity for PhD students to present their thesis work for discussion with a panel of renowned mentors. With generous support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), since ASSETS'04 this forum has supported many students who have progressed to professional careers in accessibility research. The other student event at ASSETS'10, the ACM Student Research Competition (SRC), provides an opportunity for both undergraduate and PhD students to gain visibility for their research. Chaired by Jeff Bigham and supported by Microsoft Research, this SRC features poster presentations from the students, with conference presentations from a selection of the entries. Winners from the ASSETS'10 SRC will go on to compete in the ACM-wide grand finals.