ADULT CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH
Accessibility Needs for User-Generated Digital Content for People with Sensory Disabilities
Principal Investigator: Oliver Alonzo, PhD (DePaul University)
Institution: DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
School, College: School of Computing, College of Computing and Digital Media
Collaborators: Christian Pemberton (DePaul University) and Jessica Polk-Williams (DePaul University)
Key Information
What is the purpose of this research?
We are asking you to answer this screener to participate in a research study to learn more about the experiences of people who are Deaf, Hard of hearing, Blind or have Low Vision, with digital content online. This study is being conducted by Christian Pemberton and Jessica Polk-Williams, both graduate students at DePaul University as a requirement to obtain her master’s degree. This research is being supervised by her faculty advisor, Oliver Alonzo. There may be other people on the research team assisting with the study.
We hope to include up to 150 people in this study.
Why are you being asked to be in the research?
You are invited to participate in this study because you identify as Deaf, Hard-of-hearing, Blind or Low Vision and interact with online content. You must be 18 or older, and be in the US, to be in this study. This study is not approved for the enrollment of people under the age of 18 or outside of the US.
What is involved in being in the research study?
By completing this screener, the research team will be able to confirm that you meet the eligibility criteria for participating in our survey. The screener will also collect your IP address to confirm you are in the United States of America (USA) which is an eligibility criteria.
Are there any risks involved in participating in this study?
There is a small risk that others may find out what you have said. But we have put protections in place to prevent this from happening. We have created a code number for you that will be on our records, instead of using your name or email.
If you are uncomfortable completing the screener, feel free to leave or close the survey.
Are there any benefits to participating in this study?
You will not personally benefit from being in this study. We hope that what we learn will inform efforts to increase the accessibility of digital content online.
How much time will this take?
This screener will take about 1 minute of your time.
Other Important Information about Research Participation
Is there any kind of payment, reimbursement or credit for being in this study?
No payment will be provided for the screener. However, valid participants who complete the survey (after the screener) will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.
Can you decide not to participate?
Your participation is voluntary, which means you can choose not to participate. There will be no negative consequences, penalties, or loss of benefits if you decide not to participate or change your mind later and withdraw from the research after you begin participating.
Who will see my study information and how will the confidentiality of the information collected for the research be protected?
The research records will be kept and stored securely. Your information will be combined with information from other people taking part in the study.
We will keep your email address in secured storage until the end of the main survey so that you can receive an Amazon gift card via email. After payment, information linking your response to your email address will be deleted. Your email address may be kept separately, using secure storage, if you indicate interest in participating in future research studies.
Upon verifying your IP address, we will delete it.
The responses to the screener will be kept indefinitely.
Who should be contacted for more information about the research?
Before you decide whether to accept this invitation to take part in the study, please ask any questions that might come to mind now. Later, if you have questions, suggestions, concerns, or complaints about the study or you want to get additional information or provide input about this research, you can contact the researcher, Oliver Alonzo, PhD at oliver.alonzo@depaul.edu.
This research has been reviewed and approved by the DePaul Institutional Review Board (IRB). If you have questions about your rights as a research subject, you may contact Jessica Bloom in the Office of Research Services at 312-362-6168 or by email at jbloom8@depaul.edu.
You may also contact DePaul’s Office of Research Services if:
- Your questions, concerns, or complaints are not being answered by the research team.
- You cannot reach the research team.
- You want to talk to someone besides the research team.
Statement of Consent from the Subject:
I have read the above information. I have had all my questions and concerns answered.