[Nfbnet-members-list] Research participant solicitation post
Blake, Lou Ann
LBlake at nfb.org
Thu Oct 5 01:09:55 UTC 2017
Dear List Members:
The below research participant solicitation is
being provided for informational purposes only.
The National Federation of the Blind has no
involvement in this research, but we believe that
it may contribute to our research mission.
Research Participant Solicitation:
Are you a company executive experienced in hiring
and employing individuals who are blind? Are you
a VR professional experienced in offering job
skills training to individuals who are blind? Are
you an expert user of smartphone apps designed
for individuals who are blind? If your response
to any of these questions is YES, we invite you
to a study on enhancing the employability of individuals who are blind.
In this study, a blind person is someone who
relies predominantly on non-visual senses to
perceive and understand his/her environment.
Smartphones along with their built-in cameras,
screen-reader software, and non-visual apps (e.g.
KNFB Reader, Seeing AI, TapTapSee, etc.) comprise
a mobile assistive technology (MAT) bundle for
blind users. MAT is hailed as an eye for the
blind since it affords sensing and understanding
the environment non-visually like never before.
The researchers conducting this study are Dr. Don
Heath of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and
Dr. Rakesh Babu of the University of Wisconsin
Milwaukee. They are interested in understanding
how MAT might enhance the workplace capabilities,
functional independence and employability of
blind people. Specifically, they are
investigating how employers might recognize the
workplace potential of MAT-enabled blind workers
for jobs within their firm. They need help from
domain experts like you in this investigation.
The study will employ three panels of domain
experts employers, VR professionals and expert
blind smartphone users. It will proceed in three
phases. In the first phase, each panel will be
presented a catalogue of smartphone apps designed
for blind users, and requested to describe the
categories of capabilities these afford to blind
users at the workplace. In the second phase, the
panel will rank order the list of categories
based on their relative significance to blind
workers. In the third phase, the panel will vote
to establish consensus on a final rank order for
the list. The results of this study will be
shared with participants after the study is over.
Any publication or presentation resulting from
this study will acknowledge the contribution of
participants should they agree to be identified.
Otherwise, their participation will remain
anonymous. In any case, the contribution of
participants is extremely valuable for this
research. It will help the development of an
evidence-based MAT-enabled job skills
certification protocol for individuals who are blind.
The entire study will span across 14 weeks. As a
part of this study, each participant will
complete 7 activities. Each activity is expected
to take 35 minutes on an average. Each
participant will work on an activity
independently, at a time of his/her convenience
during a 1 - 2 week window. None of the
activities requires any travel, conference calls,
or direct interaction with other participants.
Participation will take place entirely via email
communication between the participant and the research team.
We do not anticipate any risk to participants in
this study. All information collected will be
used for the research, and will be kept
confidential. Furthermore, participation is
strictly voluntary and a participant may withdraw
at any time without penalty. For additional
information regarding this study, please send
your queries to
<mailto:heathd at uwosh.edu>heathd at uwosh.edu with
the subject line IRB 972730. For any concern
regarding treatment as a research participant,
please contact the Chair, Institutional Review
Board for Protection of Human Participants c/o
Office of Grants and Faculty Development UW
Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901 (920) 424-3215.
Although the chairperson may ask your name, all
complaints are kept confidential.
You may express your interest to participate by
responding to a brief questionnaire about your
background. The link to that questionnaire is
included below. Completing that survey would mean
you have read the above description of the study,
and that you understand your participation is
strictly voluntary. Please remember to provide
the email you wish to be used during the study.
The questionnaire may be accessed by activating the following link:
<https://sites.google.com/site/delphistudypanelists/>https://sites.google.com/site/delphistudypanelists/
Thank you for your consideration. Once we receive
your response to the questionnaire, we will get
in touch with you for further guidance.
Thanks and regards,
Rakesh Babu (Ph.D.)
UWM School of Information Studies
Northwest Quad-Bldg. B, Rm 3488
2025 E Newport Ave,
Milwaukee, WI 53211
Tel: 414-229-4707
Fax: 414-229-6699
Email: <mailto:babu at uwm.edu>babu at uwm.edu
Lou Ann Blake, J.D.
Deputy Executive Director, Jernigan Institute
200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, extension 2221| <mailto:lblake at nfb.org>lblake at nfb.org
<https://nfb.org/>
National Federation of the Blind
<http://www.facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind>
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The National Federation of the Blind is a
community of members and friends who believe in
the hopes and dreams of the nations blind. Every
day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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