Digital technologies are constantly growing and are integral to how we live our everyday lives, but how do we ensure no one is left behind? For people with disabilities, representing 24% of the UK population, it’s imperative for us to understand how to make technologies truly accessible. Researchers at Birmingham City University, within the centre for Human Computer Interaction , are driven by a vision to develop more inclusive and intuitive digital experiences for all.
The team, led by Professor of Human Computer Interaction, Chris Creed, consists of experts in computing and digital media technology, as well as nine postgraduate researchers currently undertaking their PhDs.
Specialising in cutting-edge research on accessibility and assistive technology, virtual and augmented reality, and sensor-driven interaction, they are working closely with regional, national, and international organisations to address real-world challenges through technical innovations.
Leading several funded research projects, investigating inclusive extended reality experiences for disabled people across a spectrum of physical, visual, auditory, and cognitive impairments, they hope to make true impacts for individuals.
The research team also leads the MSc User Experience Design course at BCU which is dedicated towards developing the next generation of HCI researchers and user experience (UX) practitioners.
Christina Karpodini is completing her PhD with the Human Computer Interaction research centre and is researching accessibility for blind and visual impaired music producers.
She is exploring how we can use vibrations as haptic technology to enable new communication methods with the computer when visual cues are not available to users.
“Accessible digital technologies are as important as any kind of accessibility implementation, even more important in the digital world - as today it’s so integrated into our everyday life” Christina explains.
Uchechukwu is currently studying on the MSc User Experience Design course at Birmingham City University and is on her placement year, working with the research team to develop multi-party haptic communication for deafblind individuals.
The deafblind community can use haptic vests to communicate with haptic signals, where an interpreter can write signals on the bodies of individuals.
Uchechukwu’s placement project looks at making this scalable, using an application where a single interpreter can communicate with multiple deafblind individuals at one time in situations such as conferences, lectures and events.
Craig Anderton is a postgraduate researcher halfway through his PhD and is working with the Human Computer Interaction research centre to investigate accessibility of virtual reality for blind and visually impaired users.
He’s working with the team to explore what accessibility issues are currently apparent for these users, and how they can be addressed through introduction of vibrations on the body and on controllers to direct people through 3D spaces.
Craig explains: “Social inclusion is really important. With the people who I often work with, who are blind or visually impaired, there is a lot of social isolation.
“Including people with disabilities, different perspectives and different lived experiences, is essential. Get people involved right from the very beginning!”
Find out more about the Human Computer Interaction Research centre
