Presenters
Amy Keith and Jenna L. Gorlewicz*
*Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University
Abstract
Current practices for creating accessible graphics are time and resource intensive, requiring specialized tools and manual authoring. In this talk, we present a convergence effort – Inclusio – that brings together stakeholders from across the creation process toward lowering the barriers of finding and creating accessible content. Inclusio’s software application which consists of three key values. The first is timely creation of new content through the combination of an accessible authoring suite and automated conversion with Artificial Intelligence. The second is choice in the way content is received through Inclusio’s ability to intake multiple file formats (e.g. text, image, numerical) and output to multiple platforms including text description, tactile graphics, multimodal touchscreen display, and refreshable haptic displays. The third is a one-stop shop for finding accessible content through a vetted content marketplace. These three pillars were imagined through iterative design cycles with Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) and individuals with Blindness or Visual Impairments (BVI). Inclusio’s end-to-end platform will reduce the time and resources required to obtain accessible content and will bring stakeholders together in one platform to create and share best practices and guiding principles toward supporting access anywhere, anytime, and in any modality.