SPONSORING OFFICE:
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services

Abstract:
Phase I demonstrated the technical merit and feasibility of developing a specialized web browser that facilitates significantly more independent access to the Internet for individuals with mental retardation as compared to mainstream web browsers. In Phase I a prototype of Web Trek, an interactive web browser designed specifically to enhance access to the Internet for individuals with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities, was developed. A pilot study was conducted to assess how independently individuals could use the Web Trek prototype and Internet Explorer 4.0. The results showed that when the Web Trek browser was used by persons with mental retardation to access the Internet, they were able to do so with significantly less assistance and with significantly fewer errors when performing a series of typical Internet access tasks. Test subjects also indicated a very high level of satisfaction with their experiences using the Internet during the pilot study.

In this Phase II project, we will build on the successful results of Phase I to:

1. complete the Web Trek web browser program,
2. build a web-based visual search engine for searching the Internet,
3. build an integrated email application that can be used by individuals with mental retardation, and
4. perform expanded field testing of the browser, picture-based search engine, and the email components to assess their effectiveness for individuals with varying levels of cognitive disability.

Summary of Anticipated Results and Implications:
Phase II will result in a fully functioning system that is ready for commercialization in Phase III. The Web Trek system will open the door to the vast information, entertainment and communication resources that are available via the Internet for millions of individuals with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities. This research will result in a suite of tools that will provide non-text based formats for searching the Internet, saving and retrieving favorite sites, comprehending Web content, and composing, sending and receiving e mail. The potential market includes families and individuals with mental retardation and other cognitive disabilities, all elementary and secondary schools, transition programs, adult services agencies and vocational rehabilitation providers.

[Visual Assistant]

[At Work!]