Digital technologies are ubiquitous in our daily lives and have fundamentally changed the way we communicate and interact with each other with information. We have anytime, anywhere access to digital content in a wide range of formats, from images, videos, text and voice to virtual and augmented reality experiences. Because today's technologies rely almost exclusively on visual and auditory feedback, obvious accessibility issues arise. In fact, access to digital content remains difficult for people with visual impairments.

In the ABILITY project, a new method is being used to develop a low-cost multi-line Braille display that is directly coupled to a multi-touch tablet. In addition, the tablet has a screen that can vibrate selectively over the entire screen surface. This opens up entirely new possibilities for the non-visual presentation of information, especially when combined with other sensory modalities such as speech or sounds and user interaction.

OFFIS supports this project by researching AI methods for the analysis of visual media (e.g. recognition of objects, faces, environments) and methods for the translation of visual content into tactile-acoustic content that can be output via the new technology. Furthermore, OFFIS is working on the development of use cases in which the potential of these developments can be demonstrated and evaluated with the target group.