| Project/Area Number |
09680407
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
情報システム学(含情報図書館学)
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| Research Institution | Tsukuba College of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
NAGAOKA Hideji Tsukuba College of Technology, Division for Visually Impaired, Associate Professor, 情報処理学科, 助教授 (30227996)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KUROKAWA Tetsuu Tsukuba College of Technology, Division for Visually Impaired, Professor, 一般教育等, 教授 (50114070)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1997 – 1999
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 1999)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥2,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000)
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| Keywords | Blindness / GUI / Nonvisual Access / Windows Programming / Screen Reader / Software Development / Tactile Material / Assistive Software / C++ / アクセス機器 / Windows95 |
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| Research Abstract |
This project was planned to develop a nonvisual method of computer programming for the Windows system. The spread of Windows has made it difficult for the blind to write computer programs because of Windows adopting GUI. It is a serious problem for the blind, because the possibilities of getting a job as a computer specialist or producing assistive software by themselves have to be lost.
The following have been done for the purpose.
(1) Investigation
The investigation aimed at clarifying the problems and difficulties with which blind computer specialists were confronted in using Windows and in writing programs. The results indicated that there existed many problems and difficulties in the use of Windows, although the development and advancement of screen reader software has gradually improved the accessibility to Windows. Actual problems and difficulties in programming were also shown in detail by the investigation.
(2) Development of Teaching Materials
Materials were developed to teach the blind how Windows works and how to operate it. The materials include Braille books and tactile figures. The validity of them was examined through test use.
(3) Development of Methodology
A method was developed for the blind to write programs for Windows. The method is based on using nonvisual means. The nonvisual means include a Braille display device and voice output functions, etc. The difficulty in arranging Windows' resources on a screen was solved by making use of a technique which enables the resources to be defined in terms of character strings. The Optacon was used for the blind to check the arrangement on a screen by themselves.
Through the project a nonvisual method of Windows programming could be developed. But there still remain many problems in the process of the method. So the research must be continued to solve them.
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