Computers Helping People With Special Needs

The two-volume set LNCS 12376 and 12377 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2020, held in Lecco, Italy, in September 2020. The conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The 104 papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 206 submissions. Included also are 13 introductions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections:Part I: user centred design and user participation in inclusive R&D; artificial intelligence, accessible and assistive technologies; XR accessibility – learning from the past, addressing real user needs and the technical architecture for inclusive immersive environments; serious and fun games; large-scale web accessibility observatories; accessible and inclusive digital publishing; AT and accessibility for blind and low vision users; Art Karshmer lectures in access to mathematics, science and engineering; tactile graphics and models for blind people and recognition of shapes by touch; and environmental sensing technologies for visual impairmentPart II: accessibility of non-verbal communication: making spatial information accessible to people with disabilities; cognitive disabilities and accessibility – pushing the boundaries of inclusion using digital technologies and accessible eLearning environments; ICT to support inclusive education – universal learning design (ULD); hearing systems and accessories for people with hearing loss; mobile health and mobile rehabilitation for people with disabilities: current state, challenges and opportunities; innovation and implementation in the area of independent mobility through digital technologies; how to improve interaction with a text input system; human movement analysis for the design and evaluation of interactive systems and assistive devices; and service and care provision in assistive environments11 chapters are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

The introduction to the 1st International Conference on Computers for Han- cappedPersons(Vienna,1989)byAMinTjoa(UniversityofVienna)andRoland Wagner(UniversityofLinz)?nishedwiththefollowingmissionstatementonthe “Future Direction on Computers for Handicapped Persons”: “The di?erent themes show that a lot of problems are solved by the usage of computer technology for helping handicapped persons, for instance for the blind and visually handicapped. A consequence of the discussed themes there are two directions which should be done in the next years. One direction is obvious. The tools must be improved and research and development work should be extended to all groups of handicapped (even if they are numerically not so large as for instancetheblindorvisuallyhandicappedpersons). Ontheothersideinthearea of social implications there is an increasing demand on social science studies on overall computer use among disabled persons. Because sources are in principle missing today about disabled persons work tasks, research in this ?eld must begin by trying to survey this aspect. Particular attention should be paid to the extent and character of computer use among the handicapped in work life. There are a lot of questions, which should be answered during the next years for reaching the aim of rehabilitation. ” Fifteen years later the 9th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs (Paris, 2004) o?ered a comprehensive and deepened view on general awareness,special research and individual applications conce- ing disabled people and their participation in our society.

The two-volume set LNCS 13341 and 13342 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Joint International Conference on Digital Inclusion, Assistive Technology, and Accessibility, ICCHP-AAATE 2022. The conference was held in Lecco, Italy, in July 2022. The 112 papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 285 submissions. Included also are 18 introductions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Art Karshmer Lectures in Access to Mathematics, Science and Engineering; Digital Solutions for Inclusive Mobility: solutions and accessible maps for indoor and outdoor mobility; implementation and innovation in the area of independent mobility through digital technologies; haptic and digital access to art and artefacts; accessibility of co-located meetings; interactions for text input and alternative pointing; cognitive disabilities and accessibility; augmentative and alternative communication (AAC): emerging trends, opportunities and innovations; language accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Part II: Digital accessibility: readability and understandability; serious and fun games; internet of things: services and applications for people with disabilities and elderly persons; technologies for inclusion and participation at work and everyday activities; robotic and virtual reality technologies for children with disabilities and older adults; development, evaluation and assessment of assistive technologies; ICT to support inclusive education – universal learning design (ULD); design for assistive technologies and rehabilitation; assistive technologies and inclusion for older people.

The two volume set LNCS 9758 and 9759, constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2015, held in Linz, Austria, in July 2016. The 115 revised full papers and 48 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 239 submissions. The papers included in the first volume are organized in the following topical sections: Art Karshmer lectures in access to mathematics, science and engineering; technology for inclusion and participation; mobile apps and platforms; accessibility of web and graphics; ambient assisted living (AAL) for aging and disability; the impact of PDF/UA on accessible PDF; standard tools and procedures in accessible e-book production; accessible e-learning – e-learning for accessibility/AT; inclusive settings, pedagogies and approaches in ICT-based learning for disabled and non-disabled people; digital games accessibility; user experience and emotions for accessibility (UEE4A).

Welcome to the Proceedings of ICCHP 2010! We were proud to welcome participants from more than 40 countries from all over the world to this year’s ICCHP. Since the late 1980s, it has been ICCHP’s mission to support and reflect development in the field of “Assistive Technologies,” eAccessibility and eInclusion. With a focus on scientific quality, ICCHP has become an important reference in our field. The 2010 conference and this collection of papers once again fulfilled this mission. The International Programme Committee, comprising 106 experts from all over the world, selected 147 full and 44 short papers out of 328 abstracts submitted to ICCHP. This acceptance ratio of about half of the submissions demonstrates our strict pursuit of scientific quality both of the programme and in particular of the proceedings in your hands. An impressive number of experts agreed to organize “Special Thematic Sessions” (STS) for ICCHP 2010. These STS help to bring the meeting into sharper focus in several key areas. In turn, this deeper level of focus helps to collate a state of the art and mainstream technical, social, cultural and political developments.

The two-volume set LNCS 8547 and 8548 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2014, held in Paris, France, in July 2014. The 132 revised full papers and 55 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 362 submissions. The papers included in the first volume are organized in the following topical sections: accessible media; digital content and media accessibility; 25 years of the Web: weaving accessibility; towards e-inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities; the impact of PDF/UA on accessible PDF; accessibility of non-verbal communication; emotions for accessibility (E4A), games and entertainment software; accessibility and therapy; implementation and take-up of e-accessibility; accessibility and usability of mobile platforms for people with disabilities and elderly persons; portable and mobile platforms for people with disabilities and elderly persons; people with cognitive disabilities: At, ICT and AAC; autism: ICT and AT; access to mathematics, science and music and blind and visually impaired people: AT, HCI and accessibility.

Welcome to the Proceedings of ICCHP 2010! We were proud to welcome participants from more than 40 countries from all over the world to this year’s ICCHP. Since the late 1980s, it has been ICCHP’s mission to support and reflect development in the field of “Assistive Technologies,” eAccessibility and eInclusion. With a focus on scientific quality, ICCHP has become an important reference in our field. The 2010 conference and this collection of papers once again fulfilled this mission. The International Programme Committee, comprising 106 experts from all over the world, selected 147 full and 44 short papers out of 328 abstracts submitted to ICCHP. This acceptance ratio of about half of the submissions demonstrates our strict pursuit of scientific quality both of the programme and in particular of the proceedings in your hands. An impressive number of experts agreed to organize “Special Thematic Sessions” (STS) for ICCHP 2010. These STS help to bring the meeting into sharper focus in several key areas. In turn, this deeper level of focus helps to collate a state of the art and mainstream technical, social, cultural and political developments.

The two-volume set LNCS 10896 and 10897 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Computers Helping People with Special Needs, ICCHP 2018, held in Linz, Austria, in July2018. The 101 revised full papers and 78 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 356 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Web accessibility in the connected world; accessibility and usability of mobile platforms for people with disabilities and elderly persons: design, development and engineering; accessible system/information/document design; accessible e-learning - e-learning for accessibility/AT; personalized access to TV, film, theatre, and music; digital games accessibility; accessibility and usability of self-service terminals, technologies and systems; universal learning design; motor and mobility disabilities: AT, HCI, care; empowerment of people with cognitive disabilities using digital technologies; augmented and alternative communication (AAC), supported speech; Art Karshmer lectures in access to mathematics, science and engineering; environmental sensing technologies for visual impairment; 3D printing in the domain of assistive technologies (AT) and do it yourselves (DIY) AT; tactile graphics and models for blind people and recognition of shapes by touch; access to artworks and its mediation by and for visually impaired people; digital navigation for people with visual impairments; low vision and blindness: human computer interaction; future perspectives for aging well: AAL tools, products, devices; mobile healthcare and m-health apps for people with disabilities; and service and information provision.