Design for All: Experience-Based Strategies for User Involvement in IST Research Projects

Abstract

Ever since 1998, ISdAC International Association has been actively promoting a Design for All approach with regard to IST applications, as well as supporting several initiatives in this regard. It is ISdAC’s belief that Design for All starts with active user involvement in the earliest stage of the product development process. Therefore, part of our activities focused on gathering information on disabled people’s experiences with existing products, as well as on creating an inventory of the difficulties encountered when becoming active online. We have been able to put together a group of disabled experts online, who can act as a user test bed for several research projects in this regard. Recently we have been involved in three IST research projects. This paper will present in detail the user requirements capture strategies and experiences, mainly in the scope of the IPCA project. Furthermore I will formulate some conclusions and recommendations in the field of an IST DfA approach based on our experiences.