Www.computing.dundee.ac.uk User Sensitive Inclusive Design In search of a new paradigm Prof. Alan F. Newell, MBE, FRSE. & Dr. Peter Gregor Department of

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User Sensitive Inclusive DesignIn search of a new paradigm

Prof. Alan F. Newell, MBE, FRSE.

& Dr. Peter GregorDepartment 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 !

Documents

Www.computing.dundee.ac.uk User Sensitive Inclusive Design In search of a new paradigm Prof. Alan F. Newell, MBE, FRSE. & Dr. Peter Gregor Department of