Thesis Proposal for the Topic "Making Accessibility Information Accessible: Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe"

Topic Description

For disabled people, knowing accessibility-related information
beforehand and planning their visits accordingly is important to avoid unpredictability.
However, finding accessibility information online in accessible forms
is still challenging, even in more structured public spaces, such as museums.
This work is in collaboration with Staatliches Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe
(NKM), and aims to provide accessibility information for all disabilities through
the website of the museum (see: https://www.smnk.de). The main goal of this
thesis is twofold: (1) Outline the accessibility-related needs of disabled people
and accessibility parameters as well as the current conditions at NKM in terms
of its accessibility to visitors with diverse disabilities and skills. (2) Present the
accessibility information for different disabilities in an accessible way, through
the website of NKM, to ensure disabled visitors can learn about accessibilities
and inaccessibilities of the museum before their visit.
This thesis is expected to contribute to the understanding of accessibility of
public spaces, and to improve access to leisure for disabled people. It is part of
the Real-World Lab Accessibility, also see http://www.accessibility.kit.edu.

Task Summary

1. Requirements Analysis
   Understand accessibility features and accessibility requirements.
2. Presenting Accessibility Information
   Visualize and communicate accessibility information in accessible formats.
3. Frontend + Backend
   Create mockups or a high-fidelity prototype presenting accessibility information, e.g., on the website.
4. Evaluation
   Evaluate the quality and usefulness of accessibility information. Optional: Evaluate the website with users (e.g., visitors and staff).

Required Skills

• Programming
• Information Visualization
• Web
• HCI