Saint Louis University and Partners 奖ed $5 Million from NSF’s 收敛加速器 程序

ST. 美国国家科学基金会(NSF) 宣布 that a team led by Saint Louis University will receive a $5 million 奖 as one of 6 teams chosen to advance to 第二阶段 of the 收敛加速器 程序, Track H: Enhancing Opportunities 残疾人士须知. 

该项目于2019年推出 NSF收敛加速器 is centered around a vision to accelerate solutions toward societal impact. 一组 由Jenna Gorlewicz博士领导的创新团队.D.，航空航天与工程副教授 Mechanical 工程 and Associate Dean of 研究 and Innovation in the School of Science and 工程 at Saint Louis University, are working on a solution to make information accessible and inclusive to all individuals, particularly those with 失明或视力低下. 这个来自学术界、工业界、初创企业、 非营利组织正在开发一种新技术(称为 Inclusio)，让任何人都能找到并创造无障碍的内容. 

Through integrated partnerships, the team will 规模 up Inclusio, which can take in multiple types of data and output it to mainstream 平台 (e.g. 移动和web 应用程序)和辅助平台(例如.g. 触觉压花机). 这种创新使个人 随时随地看到、听到或感到满意. 它还使教师和内容 providers to rapidly generate accessible content that works across widely adopted 平台.

“Inclusio fills two critical gaps in making highly visual information accessible. One is promoting stronger learning and professional outcomes, particularly in STEM 学科. But equally important is ensuring the inclusion of diverse learners and 专业人士，”Gorlewicz说. 

Gorlewicz explains that lack of access to information, particularly graphics, has been a long-standing challenge which underscores growing disparities in educational attainment, full-time employment, independent living for individuals with blindness 或者低视力. Bridging these gaps is the overarching theme of Inclusio and what brought 团队在一起.

的 initiative is built around strong collaborations, in particular, the lived 失明或视力低下者的经历. 

“A key advantage of Inclusio is the human-centered, iterative design and development approach, where rapid user testing and inclusion of the community drive the blueprint 格雷戈里·特里普利特(Gregory Triplett)博士说.D.他是理学院院长 工程. 

Collaborators include partners at Vital, UNAR Labs, ViewPlus Technologies, Northeastern University, Pearson, American Printing House for the Blind, DAISY Consortium, Desmos, Highcharts, Benetech, San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Foundation for Blind Children, Francis Howell School District, Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Washington State School for the Blind, Alabama School for the Blind; and consultants with expertise in human-computer interaction, lived experience with blindness and low vision, STEM education and assessment of students 有视觉障碍的. 

When thinking about the long-term goals of this convergent work, Gorlewicz said, “Inclusio is pioneering a new era of accessibility by building a cohesive framework for multisensory 内容和信息访问. We’re not just solving today's challenges; we’re architecting a future where all content seamlessly adapts to individual needs.”

关于 the NSF收敛加速器 程序, 2022 Cohort, Track H: Enhancing Opportunities 残疾人士须知 

美国.S. National Science Foundation is building upon research and discovery to accelerate use-inspired 实践研究. 的 收敛加速程序, an NSF capability designed to address national-规模 societal challenges, selected 16个研究团队为其2022年的队列，轨道H 第一阶段—focusing on an important research area - Enhancing Opportunities for Persons with 残疾的人. 

2023年12月，NSF选定了6个项目 第二阶段, 奖ing $30 million across the convergent research teams or up to $5 million in funding per team to continue developing solution prototypes and to build a sustainability 在NSF支持之外继续发挥影响. 在为期24个月的第二阶段工作结束时， teams are expected to provide high- impact solutions that address societal needs at 规模. 

"A convergence approach between researchers, innovators, persons with disabilities spanning organizations and communities across multiple sectors is crucial to ensure these NSF-funded solutions address barriers to employment, freedom of movement, quality of life for persons with disabilities," said Douglas Maughan, head of the NSF收敛加速器程序. “被选中的第二阶段团队正在培养强大的 partnerships to ensure their use-inspired solutions assist a wide range of people. At the end of 第二阶段, NSF expects these teams to provide high-impact deliverables 该项目将在NSF的支持之外继续进行."