Our goal is to develop a new generation assistive devices and accessible technologies that are sensitive to the social environments within which they will be used, and that seek to leverage and support those relationships.

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  • COVID-19 misinformation spread and effect on older adults

    The project aims to provide a better understanding of how older adults are dealing with coronavirus misinformation in online platforms. We identify older adults’ challenges when conducting online information seeking and investigate how they respond to these challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we use online surveys and phone interviews to examine how older adults use online resources to search for COVID-19 information, how much they are exposed to COVID-19 misinformation, how they deal with the misinformation they encounter, and how familiar they are with the interventions deployed by some online platform to combat COVID-19 misinformation.

  • Empowering people with dementia in social sharing

    This project aims at supporting people with dementia in social sharing in community settings through a case study of the Tales & Travels program at the Westmount Public Library.

  • Supporting Social Interaction During Hospice

    Staying connected is a primary concern of hospice and palliative care patients and their families, but managing and coordinating interaction to best meet the varying needs and capabilities of patients is challenging. This project explores this space, with the long-term goal of developing new technologies that address both patient and family needs.

  • Digital Paper-Based Communication Systems

    This project explores the use of digital paper as a platform for blending the aesthics of handwritten letters with the convenience of e-mail.

  • Connecting Across Generations

    This project is exploring ways of fostering online relationships between grandparents and college-aged grandchildren. To address divergent user needs, we are devloping a prototype communication system that supports asymmetrical participation and a balance between short and meaningful interctions.

  • Accessible Touch Interaction

    This project aims to understand the target selection behavior on touch-screen interfaces, including the impact of finger size, angle, pressure, velocity and the three-dimensional motion trajectory. The outcomes of this project will inform the design of new touch-based interaction technqiues and increased accessibility for a wide range of users.

  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

    This project seeks to develop novel communication supports and improve access to technology for individuals with communication impairments with aphasia. Recent subprojects include the design of wearable AAC technology to enable more discreet access and the development of tools to support attentional awareness during conversation.

Publications

Most publications are available through ACM author-izer or a similar service. Please email us if you require a pre-print or otherwise require assitance accessing our publications.

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