---
title: Technology for All
date: 2021-10-18T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/technology-for-all"
section: Articles
---
# Technology for All

*October 18, 2021* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> The Trace Center Celebrates 50 Years of Making Computers, Phones Accessible

*Trace Center 1920x1080 — People with disabilities are the main focus of the Trace Center, but its technologies benefit all users: keyboard controls such as StickyKeys, "EZ Access" kiosks at airports and post offices, a captioning tool for web accessibility, and now-common cell phone features such as vibration an speakerphone.*

If you’ve zoomed in or out on a cell phone with a finger gesture, or checked in at an airport or hotel through a kiosk, you’ve encountered the technology of the [Trace Research and Development Center](https://trace.umd.edu/)—even if you didn’t know it.

For 50 years, the Trace Center has pioneered accessibility features for computers, websites and (most recently) smartphones in ways that may not always be obvious, but are crucial for some users. It’s also developed international guidelines to ensure that people with disabilities can use the same devices and access the same information as the broader population.

“We have two goals. One of them is to ensure that as technology evolves, we take advantage of the new technological advances to provide better access for people with disabilities. As it evolves, it also creates new barriers. Our other goal is to make sure people with disabilities have access to these changing technologies,” said Gregg Vanderheiden, co-founder of the center, which is based in the University of Maryland’s College of Information Studies.

While people with disabilities are the main focus of the Trace Center, some of its technologies benefit all types of users. Here are four ways you may have come face to face with the center’s work over the last half-century:


*Keyboard illustration*



---



*Kiosk illustration*



---



*Illustration of video with captions*



---



*Illustration of touchscreen cell phone*



**Sidebar note:**

**Trace Looks to the Future** Fifty years after founding the Trace Center, Gregg Vanderheiden stepped down from its leadership on Oct. 4 and handed the reins to Jonathan Lazar, a professor of information studies.

“The work of the Trace Center, which appears in billions of devices used by people with disabilities every day internationally, has improved the quality of life worldwide for people with disabilities,” said Lazar. “We have a great team of researchers who are all passionate about accessibility, and I am honored to be continuing the tradition of excellence and impact.”

In this new era, the center’s priorities include understanding the needs and abilities of people with dementia; inclusive artificial intelligence that uses data from people with disabilities; strategies and tools for people with low digital affinity; and improved accessibility standards, policies and laws. Lazar oversees a research team that includes Vanderheiden, J. Bern Jordan, Hernisa Kacorri and Amanda Lazar (no relation to Jonathan Lazar), as well as affiliate faculty and graduate students.





**Topics:** [Research](https://today.umd.edu/tags/research)


**Tags:** [Disability and Accessibility](https://today.umd.edu/topic/disability-and-accessibility)


**Units:** [College of Information](https://today.umd.edu/topic/college-information-studies)