Universal Design of Gaze Interactive Applications for People with Special Needs

Within the last 20 years, gaze interaction has become a successful communication solution for numerous people with motor challenges. In this paper, we present two new cases of gaze interactive assistive technology: i) gaze control of an exoskeleton for stroke rehabilitation, and ii) gaze interactive reading support for people with low vision. By applying a Universal Design approach [Mace 1998] both cases are assessed through an ability analysis to identify issues with gaze interaction specific to our applications that need to be further addressed. Finally, we suggest how solutions in our applications may be mainstreamed for a broader user group.