User interface adaptation for ICT based alternative and augmentative applications

Abstract

Support of ICT in Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC) has been recognized as the key enabler of better inclusion of persons with complex communication needs into everyday life. Due to complex, and often very individual, communication needs, such persons need the ability to quickly adapt graphical user interfaces according to their needs, skills, impairments and possibilities. The paper proposes initial automatic adaptation of AAC application user interfaces that is performed only once and then distributed across AAC applications through a specialized AAC platform. The adaptation is formally specified using timed Petri nets and evaluated on a group of users, aiming at producing components that can be re-used without the need for further evaluation, thus enabling rapid development of new applications without the need for real user testing, due to the nature and availability of AAC users. Finally, the paper proposes several methods of choosing symbols and weighs the benefits of each method according to evaluation results.

Keywords

• alternative and augmentative communication
• automatic user interface adaptation
• calibrator
• communicator
• Petri net