Research
The Inclusive Media and Design Center’s areas of research expertise are inline with (PDF file) Ryerson’s Strategic 5 year Research Plan (external link) and its guiding principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI), and access.
Dominant research threads include production tools and processes for accessible entertainment, technology-based health motivators, and multi-sensory communication tools.
Our motto is technology creation through inclusive research, design, evaluation and policy.
Facilitating accessible Culture & Creativity, the IMDC develops tools and methodologies for creating and assessing (through machine learning) audio description/described video (AD/DV) and real-time captioning (CC) for live and post production media. The Chang School’s Inclusive Media course series for opportunities to learn AD/DV and CC.
Developing Technology & Intelligent Systems for creating, curating and sharing short video narratives for various applications including pain management and restaurant reviews. The qualitative patient’s or client's “voice” can be used to make decisions about new processes or procedures to improve authenticity and Health & Well-being.
Creating new forms of art! Vibrotactile systems are available for making accessible art and music at the Vibrafusion Lab (external link) , an artist-run facility where practitioners are educating, curating, and producing vibrotactile works for distribution to galleries and performance venues nationally and internationally.
Deploying Justice & Equity through accessible systems such as the signed language-centric website builder with image-based hyperlinking between and within video segments. In partnership with artist, Graham Smith, supporting access to Work, Skills & Industry for neurodivergent students through a remote controlled audio/video (a/v), and tactile presence robotic system.
Creating personalized voice-recognition applications with industry partner Tecla (external link) , a company that develops specialized technologies for alternative access. Also, using customisable mobile communication devices to increase the efficiency of single switch access technology that is context aware and customizable to facilitate accelerated communication.