News

UMD faculty and students provide leadership and research insights at international technology accessibility research conference in Canada.

Thank you to guest journalists Fisayo Fosudo and Dashveenjit Kaur for visiting our University of Maryland facilities and learning more about our AI initiatives! Always great to coordinate with U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Press Center to help our research reach all corners of the globe! The journalists toured the SMART Lab, RAAS Lab and…

Disability rights advocates often call for digital technologies and content to be built using a born-accessible approach. The born-accessible approach involves building accessibility into digital technologies and content from the beginning, meaning that only technologies that are accessible are released to users. This should lead to lower costs and eliminate the delay in access when…

A Grand Challenges Q&A with Gulnoza Yakubova: Associate professor in the College of Education, Gulnoza Yakubova is a co-principal investigator of MIDA. She explains how digital accessibility can increase equity for people with disabilities and also improve technology experiences for all people.

Palm-sized Robot Navigates Touchscreens for Visually Impaired Users. Having to tap-tap-tap away to order a sandwich or check bags at a touchscreen kiosk can be annoying. For those who are blind or visually impaired, it can be excruciating…

INFO Assistant Professor Amanda Lazar and a team of researchers studied how people with dementia search for health information after diagnosis. In a study published last year, College of Information Studies (INFO) assistant professor and member of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) Amanda Lazar, along with a team of researchers, explored how people with dementia search for…

Video Platform Designed by Neurodiverse Team Could Improve Communications for All. A new communications platform in development at the University of Maryland could increase employment opportunities for the autistic community by helping individuals navigate the nuances of communication with their neurotypical colleagues.

The INFO assistant professor studies the benefits and limitations of technology in aiding communication.

Jonathan Lazar provided testimony about digital accessibility to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and MIDA provided comments to the rulemaking related to web and mobile app accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Led by the UMD INFO College, Maryland Initiative for Digital Accessibility (MIDA) aims to change technology design to include disability communities as equal partners, proactively building in accessibility.