REU SITE: Accessible Multimodal Interfaces

Rochester Institute Of Tech, Rochester NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Accessible Multimedia Interfaces REU site program provides students with research experiences on projects that enhance multimedia content accessibility through browser or mobile application interfaces for consumers who have sensory disabilities (deaf, hard of hearing, blind or low vision). They will collaborate with peers and mentors who have sensory disabilities. The diverse teams provide students with the experience and knowledge to recognize the range and complexity of accessibility challenges in accessing multimedia and to evaluate the efficacy of proposed solutions in a unique research environment. Students with sensory disabilities are extremely underrepresented in academics at the graduate level especially in STEM. The REU site creates a critically needed pipeline of these students for graduate school and encourages them to participate in undergraduate and graduate programs in accessible computing and computer science generally. The REU student teams learn to identify, analyze and address unsolved accessibility challenges to multimedia content interfaces. They also learn how to collaborate with diverse peers in an inclusive research environment. They will gain experience in designing and producing practical solutions that increase accessibility and usability of multimodal information, especially for consumers with sensory disabilities everywhere. They will learn to create and disseminate their research outcomes through seminar training and participation in college and institutional conferences. The AMI REU Site website (http://avd.rit.edu/REU) provides additional information.