Multimodal Mediators to the World as it is Currently Designed

Information technology should be accessible to all users. Above all disabled persons in a public environment depend on such accessibility to today’s information technology (e.g. cash dispensers, ticket selling machines, etc.). In this article we show how multimodality can be used to provide universal accessibility to public kiosk systems making assistive technology applicable in the public space. We introduce a system based on the generic EMBASSI infrastructure by means of which terminal systems can communicate with personalized mobile devices over an amodal information layer. Those mobile devices provide the user with adapted multimodal means of interaction. We illustrate different device examples, specially adjusted to the needs of visually impaired and paraplegic users, which have been realized. The results of a psychological evaluation of the approach will be presented.