37th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference Has Concluded

Using Voice Applications to Improve the User Experience

Date & Time

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 - 2:20 PM PST

Location

Elite 1-3

Description

Voice assistant adoption by both corporations and consumers is increasing rapidly as companies realize the unique potential of voice-enabled devices to reach audiences effectively and accessibly. Users have likewise embraced voice applications as a deeply intuitive tool, a form of innovation that requires no instructions or tutorial, easily utilized by individuals of virtually every demographic and skill level in line with universal design principles. We use voice assistants to shop, to find out the weather, to book appointments over the phone. Voice technology is the perfect realization of the maxim that good technology is inherently accessible. But are we collectively ditching the touchscreen computer monitor or just augmenting it? In this session, we will look at how voice empowers smart workers to be backed by smart tech by providing an alternative modality to bolster worker efficiency and create a seamless handoff within mainstream tech ecosystems. We will also look at the future of voice technology in an age of big-tech skepticism and heightened privacy concerns by delving into network-level proprietary applications for voice software in the education and healthcare spaces. Finally, in this session we will discuss APH initiatives to create an accessible and conversational website browsing experience by analyzing the new APH Museum voice application as an example. Attendees will learn how features and tools of voice software development can be leveraged to curate an experience that feels natural, conversational, and worth using.

Audience

Information & Communications Technology
K-12 Education
Healthcare & Rehabilitation
Retail & Wholesale

Audience Level

Intermediate

Session Summary (Abstract)

The field of voice assistants is growing as more people adopt voice-navigable technology and integrate it into their lifestyle. Learn how this accessible medium is changing the way we engage with technology and experience one of APH's newest innovations for providing an accessible and conversational website browsing experience.

Session Type

General Track

Topics