Multi-Year Funding Awarded to Develop Accessible Software for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Centennial Innovates, the Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ARIES) department at Centennial College, has a long history of collaborating with social enterprises. Its Social Innovation Research Centre (SIRC) has been working with communities to address their challenges, and this activity continues to grow. We are pleased to announce that we have received long-term funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to develop accessible software for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The project is titled “Using Artificial Intelligence to Develop Accessible Software for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities”.
Under NSERC’s College and Community Innovation program, Centennial’s research team was awarded $360,000 over 3 years to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop accessible software for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The fact is, software are designed for general users but are inaccessible to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. A key component of the project is running co-development workshops with individuals with IDD and software developers. While some accessible software options exist, individuals with IDD are rarely, if ever, involved in providing their expertise and insights to software development. Moreover, developers who use AI often design for the majority, and the datasets used to train AI often exclude or underrepresent people with disabilities. This leads to the second major output of the project: the development of a ‘best practices’ manual for software developers to run co-development workshops and included individuals with IDD in the development process. The research project engages researchers from WIMTACH and students and faculty across multiple areas and schools at the College to address a substantive gap in public health education.
The project team includes Centennial College’s Dr. Johanna Niles (Faculty at the School of Community and Health Studies (SCHS)), Dr. Daniel Huizenga (Manager, Social Innovation Research) and Dr. Purnima Tyagi (Director, WIMTACH and Social Innovation Research), along with Tenzin Jinpa (R&D Lead, Software and AI, WIMTACH), Professor Viji Angamuthu (School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science (SETAS)) and Lowell Heppner from Centennial’s Centre for Accessible Learning and Counselling. Also on the team are community partners Barry Isaacs (Director of Research, Evaluation, and Teaching, Surrey Place), CLTO Influencers, Amanda and Sarah (Lived Experience Advisors, Surrey Place), and Ann-Marie Binetti, Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Advocacy, Community Living Toronto. The CLTO Influencers from Community Living Toronto are contributing throughout the life of the project. They are a group of self-advocates who are using social media as a platform to raise awareness about disability issues to create a more inclusive society.
“The project will empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through participation in valued social roles, a learning platform for improving digital literacy, and fostering autonomy and self-determination,” says Dr. Purnima Tyagi. Dr. Johanna Niles adds, “As a faculty in the Developmental Services Worker (DSW) program, I am thrilled to be a part of this project. In a world/society that can often times be devaluing to individuals with an intellectual disability, it gives me great joy to participate in a project that is collaborative in nature, where their voices are an integral part of the development process. Exploring creative and innovative ways in which we can develop AI software that is truly accessible is a great step towards employing a social model of disability.” “It is an extremely important project,” concludes Daniel Huizenga. “Through co-development workshops, we will set new standards for the development of accessible software that will ultimately benefit individuals with IDD across the country and beyond.”
The community partners were instrumental in highlighting the challenges faced by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in connecting remotely. “We are thrilled to be research partners … Accessibility to information and communication technology continues to be a big barrier for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In an increasingly digitalized world, individuals with IDD risk being left behind; this gap will widen when AI becomes more and more integrated into technology,” says Terri Hewitt, CEO, Surrey Place.
“Some of the computer software that I have been working with is not accessible. For example, it’s hard to search. People don’t take the time to ask what people with intellectual disabilities need. Co-design is a good process; it will help to understand how to make things a lot more accessible. It’s different because you are getting both sides of the story and it will help other people with intellectual disabilities. It gives a chance for people with intellectual disabilities to share their knowledge and experience, and teach others how to make computer software accessible. I want people to listen and hear how to do this better,” says Amanda, Lived Experience Advisor, Surrey Place. “I love the idea of co-design…but the idea of being part of a team to learn about it and to help solve problems and to make things easier for people with developmental disabilities is really exciting,” adds Sarah, Lived Experience Advisor, Surrey Place.
"In alignment with our vision for a society where everyone belongs and is valued, Community Living Toronto is excited to collaborate with the Social Innovation Research Center and Surrey Place in this groundbreaking project. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Community Living Toronto is proud to be part of this innovative journey, driving positive change and embodying our commitment to inclusive and valued communities,” says Ann-Marie Binetti from Community Living Toronto.
Learn more about this project at the "AI and Accessibility" project website.
Learn more about the Social Innovation Research Centre at the SIRC Website.