Collaborative Research: FW-HTF-RL: Building an Inclusive Future of Work: Accessible Collaboration for Visually Impaired Information Workers

合作研究：FW-HTF-RL：构建包容性的工作未来：为视障信息工作者提供无障碍协作

• 批准号: 2326024
• 负责人: Darren Gergle
• 金额: $ 94.32万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2027-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2326024&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; FW; HTF; RL

Information workers use digital collaboration tools for project management, preparing and sharing documents and presentations, and team communication and coordination. People who are blind or low vision are performing computer-based work at increasing rates, yet only 44% of the 8.1 million visually impaired Americans are employed. While advances in collaboration tools (e.g., shared document editors, video conferencing, and chat platforms) make it possible to work together in new ways and create new career opportunities, these tools remain largely inaccessible for blind workers. More than 2 billion people worldwide use collaboration tools on a monthly basis, yet learning to use them with a screen reader – software blind people use to read and navigate a graphical display – is extremely challenging. For example, collaborative writing tools offer only partial access for screen reader users, making it difficult to understand where other team members are working in a shared document. This project advances future AI-augmented collaboration tools and creates a more equitable and inclusive future of work by improving job-related skill development, increasing worker self-efficacy, and providing access to all aspects of teamwork experienced by current and future information workers. This project is grounded in formative research and close partnership with four Disability Service Organizations across Orange County, CA and Chicago, IL that serve as the primary work contexts and both employ visually impaired information workers as well as offer training and placement programs. This research contributes: (1) foundational knowledge of accessibility needs for blind information workers through a taxonomy of accessibility barriers and provides design guidelines for AI-powered collaboration tools; (2) an accessible infrastructure of new interaction techniques and AI-augmented tools that support ability-diverse team communication, coordination, and knowledge sharing; (3) an open-source online community that fosters peer learning and support; (4) empirical evidence of system effectiveness for individual and collaborative interaction, skill development, self-efficacy, and collaboration readiness; and (5) a multidisciplinary consortium that will impact on industry products and policy related to the future of accessible work, AI, and equity in the tech industry. An integrated evaluation plan assesses individual and collaborative interaction with the systems as well as large-scale naturalistic use by blind workers and those seeking employment. To further ensure the project’s broader impact, an advisory board includes experts from industry, disability law, and public policy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

信息工作者使用数字协作工具用于项目管理，准备和共享文档和演示文稿以及团队沟通和协调。盲目或低视力的人以越来越多的速度进行基于计算机的工作，但在810万视力障碍的美国人中，只有44％被雇用。尽管协作工具的进步（例如，共享的文档编辑，视频会议和聊天平台）使以新的方式合作并创造新的职业机会成为可能，但对于盲人工人来说，这些工具在很大程度上仍然无法获得。全球超过20亿人每月使用协作工具，但学会与屏幕阅读器一起使用它们 - 软件盲人用来阅读和导航图形显示 - 非常挑战。例如，协作写作工具仅为屏幕阅读器用户提供部分访问，从而使其他团队成员在共享文档中工作的位置很难。该项目通过改善与工作相关的技能发展，提高工人的自我效能感并为当前和未来的信息工作者所经历的团队合作的各个方面提供访问，从而为未来的A-AIMAIG协作工具提供了发展，并创造了更公平和更包容的工作未来。该项目以形成性研究为基础，并与伊利诺伊州奥兰治县和芝加哥的四个残疾人服务组织保持着密切的合作关系，这些组织是主要工作环境，以及员工视力受损的信息工作者以及提供培训和安排计划。这项研究贡献了：（1）通过可访问性障碍的分类法对盲目信息工作者的可访问性需求的基础知识，并为AI驱动的协作工具提供了设计指南； （2）可访问的新互动技术和AI级工具的基础架构，以支持能力多样性团队的交流，协调和知识共享； （3）一个开源的在线社区，促进同行学习和支持； （4）对个人和协作互动，技能发展，自我效能和协作准备的系统有效性的经验证据； （5）一个多学科财团，将影响与科技行业无障碍工作，AI和权益的未来相关的行业产品和政策。综合评估计划评估个人和与系统的合作互动以及盲人工人和寻求就业的人的大规模自然使用。为了进一步确保该项目的更广泛影响，顾问委员会包括行业，残疾法和公共政策的专家。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准来通过评估来获得的支持。