Cloud Computing and People with Disabilities

The rise of services supported "in the cloud", on the worldwide population of interconnected computers, is revolutionizing many businesses, while providing consumers with increased convenience at lower cost. What does this revolution in technology offer to people with disabilities? This talk will describe work being done in the USA and abroad to realize the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (http://GPII.net), using the cloud to make it much easier for people to access online content and services in a way that meets their individual needs and preferences. It will also outline further implications of the cloud for improvement of services for people with disabilities, through advances in "Big Data" analytics, in data sharing technology, and in social software.

Bio: Clayton Lewis is Professor of Computer Science and Fellow of the Institute of Cognitive Science at the University of Colorado. He is well known for his work (with students and colleagues) on evaluation methods in user interface design, including the thinking aloud and cognitive walkthrough methods. His recent work on technology for people with cognitive disabilities has been presented to the US Access Board Technical Advisory Committee, CSUN, RESNA, ACM ASSETS, and other forums, and he has served as Scientist in Residence at the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities. He is a member of the CHI Academy, recognizing his contributions to Human Computer Interaction. He is currently on leave from the University, serving as a consultant on cloud computing for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

Clayton's Website: http://spot.colorado.edu/~clayton/