Better vocabularies for assistive communication aids: connecting terms using semantic networks and untrained annotators

TitleBetter vocabularies for assistive communication aids: connecting terms using semantic networks and untrained annotators
Publication TypeConference Papers
Year of Publication2009
AuthorsNikolova S, Boyd-Graber J, Fellbaum C, Cook P
Conference NameProceedings of the 11th international ACM SIGACCESS conference on Computers and accessibility
Date Published2009///
PublisherACM
Conference LocationNew York, NY, USA
ISBN Number978-1-60558-558-1
Keywordsadaptive tools, aphasia, assistive communication, semantic networks, visual vocabularies
Abstract

The difficulties of navigating vocabulary in an assistive communication device are exacerbated for individuals with lexical access disorders like those due to aphasia. We present the design and implementation of a vocabulary network based on WordNet, a resource that attempts to model human semantic memory, that enables users to find words easily. To correct for the sparsity of links among words, we augment WordNet with additional connections derived from human judgments of semantic similarity collected in an online experiment. We evaluate the resulting system, the visual vocabulary for aphasia (ViVA), and describe its potential to adapt to a user's profile and enable faster search and improved navigation.

URLhttp://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1639642.1639673
DOI10.1145/1639642.1639673