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CurIO

Accessible Programming towards bridging the Disability Employment Gap

An accessible computer interface that allows people with blindness to code with speed, efficiency and competence on par with sighted programming professionals. 

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Our Technology

CurIO is a real time multi-sensory (tactile + audio) computer display for people with blindness and severe visual impairment. It represents code structures as a pattern of moving elements and allows users to selectively read out text/ code of interest with in-built voice synthesizer. Imagine it to be a pin board with moving elements, where a blind person can touch and feel the structure of code in real time!

How it works?
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What are we solving?

The only computer accessibility technology available to people with visual impairments are screen readers and refreshable braille displays. While they are great to read an e-book, write a document or browse the internet, they are not meant for programming tasks and

is really frustrating to code 

They read content linearly

Comprehending code is like reviewing a book. Sighted people can skim through a book to understand its content. With screen readers and braille displays this is nearly impossible. One has to read through word by word, line by line. 

Imagine having to read through thousands of lines of code at a time, to first understand the contents of the code and then debug it !

The limited working memory of humans do not allow large pieces of information to be remembered temporarily for navigation and while solving a problem. Since a visually impaired user needs to first read through all lines, mentally map the logic even to make any modification, it becomes very frustrating. 

As a result, there are less than 1% blind programmers around the world, and much of them as hobbyists. Our vision is to enable them with coding skills at a professional level, so that they can find equal job opportunities in the rapidly growing digital economy

Did you just say skimming? It is not possible in coding.

- Pawel Urbanski, professional blind programmer (Poland)

It takes a lot of time to code with braille displays
Yuma Decaux, professional blind programmer (Australia)

Screen Readers make a different tone of beeps for different indents. This will drive you crazy, especially when you are coding for like 10 hours.

- Pawel Urbanski, professional blind programmer (Poland)

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It is nearly impossible to quickly skim, navigate to specific lines and debug code effectively, on par with sighted professionals, with screen readers and refreshable braille displays, the only computer accessibility technology available to people with visual impairments

This is exactly what CurIO solves

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What makes CurIO different?

CHUNKING

Breaks

large pieces of text to smaller, manageable, comprehensible chunks

NON-BRAILLE 

For universal accessibility,

represents digital  information without braille since global braille literacy is less than 10% 

CROSS COMPATIBLE

Can be used across all popular IDEs and text editors

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MINIMALIST UI

Interaction design based on familiar mental models, low adoption barrier

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ALLOCENTRIC ELEMENTS

Based on familiar spatial navigation models, that define relative position of different interaction elements from a fixed point of reference

MULTI- SENSORY INTERACTION

Reduces sensory fatigue when working for longer period of time

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LOW COGNITIVE STRAIN

Adapted to be within the comfortable levels of working memory, to reduce cognitive strain

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COMPATIBLE with many popular programming languages

Where can CurIO be impactful?

WORKPLACES

To enable companies hire people with visual impairments for jobs that require coding skills

 

To allow companies to hire from traditionally marginalized talent pool, improve business performance, in addition to being a goodwill gesture and reduce turnover rates, since people with disabilities tend to look for stable jobs​​

MAINSTREAM COLLEGES

To enable students with visual impairments access mainstream STEM education such as computer science and in other growing digital economy technologies

INDIVIDUALS

To enable people with visual impairments upskill themselves and find high paying jobs or for an enthusiastic hobby

SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS

To enable non-profits organizations to effectively upskill blind students with coding skills along with other computer skills and place them in high paying jobs in the Digital Economy Industry

Connect upskilled individuals with freelance projects from companies 

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