Articles by Jonathan Lazar

Dr. Lazar is a professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Towson University, and is currently on leave and at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, this research was partially performed while he was a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. His primary focus is on digital accessibility for people with disabilities. He has published 11 books, and is the recipient of the 2016 SIGCHI Social Impact Award.

Co-Design Process of a Smart Phone App to Help People With Down Syndrome Manage Their Nutritional Habits

Abstract People with Down syndrome (DS) often have trouble making healthy food choices. This article describes the user-centered design process of developing a smart phone app that could potentially help people with DS make better nutritional decisions when dining out at a restaurant. This work builds on multiple areas of HCI expertise, including user-centered design, […] [Read More]

Special Issue of the Journal of Usability Studies: Designing Inclusive Systems

The Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT) is held every other year at a UK Cambridge University college. CWUAAT ’12 was part of this series, started in 2002, that presents research from the international inclusive design community. It is a unique multi-disciplinary workshop, where designers, computer scientists, engineers, architects, human factors specialists, […] [Read More]

Development and Evaluation of Two Prototypes for Providing Weather Map Data to Blind Users Through Sonification

Abstract While most aspects of web accessibility are technically easy to solve, providing accessible equivalents of data visualizations for blind users remains a challenging problem. Previous attempts at accessible equivalents focused on sonification of population data. This paper describes the creation of two prototypes for providing real-time weather information in a sonified format for blind […] [Read More]

A Usability Evaluation of Workplace-Related Tasks on a Multi-Touch Tablet Computer by Adults with Down Syndrome

Abstract This research study focuses on evaluating the usability of multi-touch tablet devices by adults with Down syndrome for workplace-related tasks. The usability evaluation involved 10 adults with Down syndrome, and the results of the study illustrate that (a) adults with Down syndrome are able to use multi-touch devices effectively for workplace-related tasks, (b) formal […] [Read More]

Investigating the Accessibility and Usability of Job Application Web Sites for Blind Users

Abstract Most companies today place their job advertisements online and frequently require that applications for jobs be submitted online. Unfortunately, many online employment Web sites are inaccessible to users with disabilities, preventing these individuals from even applying for jobs online. Previous studies have used automated tools or expert reviews to evaluate the accessibility of online […] [Read More]

Usability Evaluation of Email Applications by Blind Users

Abstract In this article, we discuss results of usability evaluations of desktop and web-based email applications used by those who are blind. Email is an important tool for workplace communication, but computer software and websites can present accessibility and usability barriers to blind users who use screen readers to access computers and websites. To identify […] [Read More]