User Sensitive Inclusive Design In search of a new paradigm Prof. Alan F. Newell, MBE, FRSE. & Dr. Peter Gregor Department of Applied Computing at the University of Dundee

Applied Computing at University of Dundee Many years experience of research into and the design of C & IT support systems for disabled people –Particular interest in: communication cognitive dysfunction support for older people HCI for extreme situations Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary HCI

Research Paradigm at Dundee Involvement of disabled people as: –consultants –test pilots for prototype systems, –User panels, –Formal case studies, and –Many individual users But we: Do not always pay too much attention to the articulated needs of the user !

The inclusion of Disabled people in Universal Usability Universal Design Design for All Accessible Design Inclusive Design

Examples of Guidelines for Universal Design INCLUDE (Europe) Centre for Universal Design at North Carolina State University (USA) Trace Centre in University of Wisconsin- Madison (USA) World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Ordinary and Extra-Ordinary HCI (Newell)

Universal Design has many advantages BUT, if taken literally, the discipline can impose very substantial requirements and constraints on the designer which may not always be appropriate.

Design for all A difficult, if not often impossible, task. Conflicts of interest with: –Less disabled people –Those with other types of disability May not be required by the product. Universal Accessibility - a barrier to greatly improved Accessibility by Most?

Approaching Universal Usability as an extension of conventional User Centred Design methodology

Challenges to UCD Users with very wide range of characteristics and functionalities Specialised and little known requirements, Different user groups with very different requirements, Ethical problems: –Informed consent, legally incompetent, communication dysfunction, extreme need. Involvement of clinicians

The Methodology must cover: Much greater variety of user characteristics and functionality Finding and recruiting representative users Conflicts of interest between user groups (Including temporarily able-bodied) The need to specify exactly the characteristics and functionality of the user group Tailored, Personalisable & Adaptive Interfaces Provision for accessibility using additional components (hardware and software)

Why User Sensitive Inclusive Design ? Sensitive: Lack of a representative user group Difficulties of communication with users Ethical issues A different paradigm A different attitude of mind of the designer Inclusive as a more achievable, and often appropriate, goal Design: More than just guidelines

User Sensitive Inclusive Design An extension of User Centred Design Experimental methodology New forms of communication of results Combination of American and European scientific cultures

The Goal: a new paradigm To facilitate the development of better specialised equipment To provide mainstream engineers with an effective and efficient way of including people with disabilities within the potential user groups for their projects. Contributions welcomed Watch this space !