Company Profile for Koester Performance Research
Koester Performance Research works to enhance computer access for people with disabilities, particularly for people who are not well-served by the typical keyboard and mouse. Our tagline sums up our approach: Clear Evidence, Better Solutions. Through research, development, and education, we support evidence-based practice in the design and delivery of assistive technology.
Our research expertise includes usability and effectiveness research, to assess how well a particular technology is working for its users, and user performance modeling, to help improve the “fit” between a user and technology. We also systematically analyze alternative input methods, such as on-screen keyboards, single-switch scanning, and word prediction, in order to improve their efficiency.
We design and build software that helps assistive technology practitioners meet their clients’ needs more effectively, by gathering and applying evidence to make more informed decisions. Our software tools also leverage the built-in Windows accessibility settings, so that the computer can adapt to a user’s specific needs. A key principle is a user-centered design approach, in which we continuously assess users’ needs and measure how well our design is meeting those needs.
Koester Performance Research was founded in 1996 by Heidi Horstmann Koester, Ph.D., as an extension of her work as a rehabilitation engineer at the University of Michigan. We strive to run our business in a way that supports a sustainable environment and a healthy society.