Design for All (in ICT)

Design for All ( DfA ) is a European design concept that includes possible impairments of the users with. The products are designed to be usable for as many user groups without special adjustments.

  • 5.1 Standardization: General Overview
  • 5.2 Recent development of standardization with respect to Design for All
  • 5.3 Design for All in the standardization of information and communication technology
  • 9.1 EDeAN - The European Design for All e-Accessibility Network 9.1.1 EIDD - Design for All Europe
  • 9.1.2 EDAD - European Institute Design for All in Germany eV
  • 9.1.3 Examples of funded with European funds research projects in the field of ICT and participation

Term

For the term exist different definitions, such as " The design of products and lifestyles, which can be used largely by anyone, without the need for adaptation or specialized design is ". (The Trace Center ), " Design of products, services and living environments in a way that they can be used by as many people as possible regardless of their age and physical characteristics ( eg size, vision, hearing or mobility the arms). "," Design for All in the information society is the deliberate and systematic effort therefore, pro- active principles, methods and tools applied so as to products and services in the fields of information technology and telecommunications (IT & T) for all citizens barrier-free and are fit for use, and therefore the need for a subsequent adaptation or specialized design is avoided. " ( Stephanidis et al, 2001).

Design for All in the context of information and communication technologies should be understood not as an attempt to create a single solution for all, but as a user-centered method to provide products that take into account the range of human abilities, skills, needs and preferences. The result of such a design process is not to be understood as a single design, but a design space with reasonable alternatives.

Related Concepts

Assistive Technology, (Universal ) Accessibility, Universal Design, Inclusive Design are considered related concepts, since they all support participation. In particular, the concepts of Design for All and Universal Design are often used interchangeably, but they differ in their basic idea. The concept of universal design has its origins in the U.S.; here is primarily concerned with the emphasis on the rights of individuals. In a native of Europe concept of Design for All it's on the other hand is to integrate different groups of people, without forcing uniformity.

Traditionally, problems of accessibility achieved by subsequent adjustments, and the use of assistive technology is the approach to achieve such adjustments.

With an obvious reference to disability is "Universal Access" barrier-free access for people safely. "Universal Access" causes the accessibility and usability of information and communication technology for every human being at any place and at any time, as well as their participation in any life context. It aims at equal access and active participation of as many people in existing and new computer- based human activities, by developing universally accessible and useful products and services and appropriate support functionality in the area. Such products and services to individual user requirements in different contexts of use, regardless of location, can satisfy the target device or the runtime environment. Thus, the approach is to guarantee access to devices and services to the effect generalizes that access to the information society is to be a total guarantee. It is believed that the citizens live in environments equipped with smart objects, wherein the objects to be achieved and the way to solve them are completely redefined with a combination of activities of access to information, communication between individuals and control of the environment. Citizens should be able to run it easy and pleasant way.

Design for All was introduced in the field of human-computer interaction especially with the aim to serve a variety of users, to meet with other words, the diversity of users. This is based on the insight that users are different and therefore have different requirements for accessibility and usability, resulting in a user-centered development process requires the consideration of all. However, the evolving application environment is increasingly complex and diversity must be considered from various other perspectives. On the one hand he may interact no longer with computers and terminals instead, but with the environment and the embedded objects there. Therefore, a number of paradigms for interaction, metaphors, media and modalities need to be considered. Further, the users will not have to deal with tasks that result from the use application system, but they pursue the goals of their everyday lives, which vary in different environments and with different users. In addition, the goals can be complex, not only because of the predicted merger of the functions of access to information, communication between individuals and environmental controls, but also because there may be entire communities of users are involved. Ultimately, the same goal in many different contexts of use must be achieved. This consideration gives an idea of ​​the complexity of the problem, the limits of classical concepts of barrier-free access and the need for innovative solutions.

Benefits and Challenges

The European Commission on e-accessibility Communication pointed to both a core of practical challenges that, as well as on market policy, legal and policy issues with regard to the improvement of "e -Accessibility " and "e -Inclusion " in Europe, and developed a three-pronged approach based on the following points:

  • Accessibility as a requirement in procurement by the public sector,
  • Certification of accessibility and
  • Better application of the existing legislation.

In this context, the following challenges need to be addressed:

  • The introduction of specific legal provisions to the existing law to complete and improve
  • The involvement and motivation of the industry,
  • An effective measurement of success by benchmarks,
  • The harmonization of standards,
  • The draft curriculum for Design for All and
  • The designation of future research activities.

A thorough discussion of the current challenges and benefits of Design for All in the area of today's information and communication technologies can be found in EDeAN White Paper (2005) and the report on the impact of technological developments on " eAccessibility " DfA @ eInclusion project.

Legislative and regulatory background

The current political context of accessibility in the Information Society in Europe of the i2010 initiative. The " i2010 - A European Information Society for growth and employment" ( i2010 - European Information Society for growth and employment) initiative was launched as a framework by the European Commission launched the main challenges and developments in the information society and the media until 2010 tackle. It promotes an open and competitive digital economy based on and emphasizes the role of information and communication technologies as a driving force towards participation and quality of life. The initiative contains a range of EU policy instruments to encourage the development of digital economy, such as regulatory instruments, research and participation of stakeholders.

Equality and non-discrimination

The aim of the strategy for the reduction of disability of the European Union is a society that is open and accessible to everyone. Barriers must be identified and eliminated. The strategy for the reduction of disability of the European Union is based on three pillars: cooperation between the Commission and the Member States of the European Union, the full participation of people with disabilities and disability equality in political treatises. Non-discrimination is also a general principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 13 December 2006 and was ready for signature from 30 March 2007.

Telecommunications and Information Society

There is a long tradition of European legal regulations concerning telecommunications. In 2002 the European Union adopted a new regulatory framework on electronic communications networks and services, which includes all types of fixed and wireless forms of communication, data transmission and communication. From the standpoint of Design for All viewed from the main EU Directives, the Directive on a common framework and the policy regarding the rights of users in relation to electronic communications and services.

Procurement by the public sector

The procurement of the public sector is a major economic force and thus an important tool for the promotion of accessibility. The legislative package of the Directive on the procurement of the public sector, which was adopted in 2004 by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers, will help to simplify procurement processes and modernize. The new directive makes it possible to take into account the requirement of accessibility in various stages of the procurement process. It is obvious that technical specifications are conveniently described with reference to standards. There are already a number of CEN, ETSI and ITU standards may be used. Similarly, guidelines have been used as, for example, the WCAG WAI or national guidelines. In the future it will be easier to find suitable standards. As part of the mandate M/376, the European Commission from the European standardization organizations CEN, CENELEC and ETSI asked to find a solution for common requirements and monitoring compliance.

Copyright

Not all products are accessible to people with disabilities. For example, if audio books or other accessible works are created, this may lead to problems with copyright. On the other hand, copyright is an essential component for the survival of a creative society. This conflict of interest must be resolved to ensure that the information society is a society for all. This is done with international and European regulations. The aim of the Directive on the harmonization of copyright and related rights in the information society is on the one hand the fact of copyright and related rights such to design that technological progress is taken into account, and on the other side is that the international obligations arising out of the two treaties on copyright and related rights in the world intellectual Property Organization (WIPO ) result, finds its way into the European Community law.

Privacy

The relationship between design and privacy is not necessarily obvious. Modern technology, as a result of a design process is to collect significant amounts of personal information in the situation. The user has an interest in ensuring that the information collected is accurate and used properly. The user wants to keep some data secret under circumstances and have access to the collected data. In other words, the privacy protection is desired. 1995 the European Union adopted a directive on the processing of personal data This policy laid the basic principles for the collection, storage and use of personal data that are to be complied with by governments, companies and other organizations or individuals who work with personal data.

Relevant guidelines and standards

In the United States, Australia, Japan and the European Union, more and more laws are passed that force governments and businesses to ensure that their products and services are accessible and can be used not only by "normal" users, but also by other persons such examples of people aged or people with disabilities. Since it would be unwise in the law technical - and thus time-dependent - to define requirements, legal texts refer preferably to ( international) standards.

Standardization: General Overview

Standardization means the development of a " standard" (English: standard; French: norme, standard; Spanish: normal ) on a voluntary basis, which was almost always done in the past by business partners, which assumed that standardization in the exchange of products and goods would make it easier. Accordingly, it was often assumed that compliance with the standards is voluntary and will triggered by the expected economic benefits. Representative of the interests of consumers were present only very rarely involved. On the other hand now take laws in many countries on the need to comply with standards (eg for safety or environmental aspects ). The result of this need for standardization is that many standardization initiatives by public bodies, or were directly or indirectly initiated by the European Commission in Europe today. In addition, many policies of stakeholders were created.

Recent development of standardization with respect to Design for All

Due to the explicit mention of standardization in the field of Design for All in the Action Plans eEurope 2002 and i2010 the European Union, several new actions were initiated. Four essential newer strategies can be distinguished:

  • Means of coordinating work groups and organizations
  • Democratization of standardization processes
  • Increasing influence of non-formal standardization bodies
  • Establishment of discussion forums on standardization, which are accessible to laymen

Design for All in the standardization of information and communication technology

  • ETSI EG 202 116 V1.2.2 ( 2009-03 )

ETSI Guide Human Factors (HF ); Guide to products and services from the information and communication technology; "Design for All ".

  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines ( WCAG) 2.0

The guidelines for accessible web content (WCAG ) 2.0 include extensive recommendations to Web content for people with disabilities (eg blind and visually impaired, hearing impaired and the deaf, those with learning disabilities, people with cognitive disorders, people with mobility problems may, speech disabilities, photosensitivity and combinations thereof) to make them accessible and usable. Compliance with these directives causes often that Web pages for all users are more usable.

Applications

The application areas of Design for All include all uses of information and communication technology.

The importance of the application areas reflects their role in creating a coherent and socially acceptable information society, but also the broad field of the affected human activities. The critical areas of the design for all applications can be summarized as follows:

  • Lifelong Learning
  • Public information systems, terminals ( terminals) and applications (eg, kiosk systems, smart home environments )
  • Transactional services (eg banking services )
  • E-commerce applications and services
  • Social Citizen Services ( eg administration, the elderly, persons, health care, public relations)
  • ( Eg collect, store and retrieve user experience, profiles and opinions ) instruments for value-added information services
  • Security

The White Paper " Towards an Information Society for All: An International R & D Agenda" ( 1998) published by the International Scientific Forum " Towards an Information Society for All" ( ISF IS4ALL ) the importance of these applications has been discussed:

" Lifelong learning is a critical application field that in the knowledge society of the future, special emphasis should be placed. It includes ongoing involvement with the acquisition of knowledge and skills to facilitate equal participation in the information society and to maintain it. New technologies can a key role in the provision of new learning methods and structures play, thereby making the learning an integral part of the life activities of a person in the context of knowledge-intensive learning communities and social interaction between groups.

Another important field of application and critical short-term goal is the development of general-purpose public information systems, terminals and application systems (eg information kiosks for the use of information services of a community ). It is expected that they will be used in increasingly diverse contexts, including public places, homes, classrooms, and others, and that they allow access from anywhere and on alternate way. Control of the environment will also become increasingly important. Smart environments are increasingly penetrate a wide range of human activities, such as in hospitals, hotels, or public administration buildings. The Tele control of such environments are also increasingly find attention to facilitate the handling of unforeseen events, higher mobility and security.

And finally, a wide range of transaction services (eg banking services, advertising, entertainment ), local services for citizens ( eg administration, health, education, mobility) will become increasingly important in the redesign of business enterprises and activities inhabitants ( ... ). Security, privacy and control are key issues in the development of a socially acceptable information society and should be given attention immediately. At the same time more complex objectives are increasingly reach, as they include several levels of telecommunications infrastructure, from the network deployment to application services such as business transactions and entertainment, terminals and information services. "

Education and training

An essential starting point for all to improve the awareness and application of design, is the development of educational and training programs. There are expert needed who have acquired extensive knowledge and skills in Design for All; also need those professionals who are already working in the information and communications industry, acquire additional knowledge and skills in Design for All. Currently, no evidence can be found that exist on Design for All (or Universal Design ) specialized university training programs or that at least one corresponding module is included in relevant training courses. This deficiency has been addressed in the project DfA @ eInclusion by appropriate curricula were designed:

  • An introductory course to teach in the context of undergraduate courses the students an understanding of the ethical and social concerns of Design for All and its importance to all citizens access to and facilitate the participation in the information society.
  • A master's degree program that will provide students with the necessary knowledge, personal and professional skills and expertise to design, evaluate, and to be able to follow the principles of Design for All manage a wide range of ICT products and services.

The realization of such programs has been conducted in some places in the ways, eg at Middlesex University, UK and at the University of Linz, Austria. Central issues include, inter alia, understanding of the principles of human rights, the development of standards, guidelines and legislation, the development of assistive technologies, as well as improved access to commonly used products and services.

Accessible Internet is an important component in the access to the information society; Information and guidelines are offered by the W3C -WAI well in online tutorials (eg Opera).

In addition to the training for professionals in the information and communications industry in the project DfA @ eInclusion was treated. A comprehensive curriculum for this training has been designed and is currently the subject of a CEN workshop: the CEN workshop " Curriculum for Training professionals in Universal Design (UD -Prof )" was launched in May 2009. According to the rules for CEN workshops all stakeholders have the opportunity for all to discuss the curriculum for the training of information and communications technology professionals in design and improve.

Selected examples of good

  • Opera has been developed from the viewpoint that it can be used by a maximum possible amount of people. This was followed by the development of the method Opera Design for All.
  • The audio book is a good example of Design for All as it allows many people to read a "book". Virtually every person with hearing loss can use audio books for entertainment, learning and as a source of information. For blind people or people with visual impairment, there are libraries for the blind where you can also rent audio media in a variety of formats and on different media alongside texts in Braille.
  • E -Government uses information and communication technologies to offer services and to improve the services, transactions and collaboration with citizens, businesses, and other areas of public administration.
  • An elevator system combines a convenient way different stories together. Modern barrier-free lift systems use information and communication technologies in order to adapt to different users. The speed with which the doors close is changed so that people can get in or out quickly or slowly. The controls of the elevator system provide audible and visual feedback so that users can operate the lift without the help of different perceptual abilities. Blind people will benefit from tactile symbols. A label with Braille is best placed next to the controls so that they are pressed by mistake when braille is not palpated. The emergency call system operates both sonically and visually. Wireless identification (eg RFID), face detection, and remote control complete the possibilities of modern lift systems and make them available for almost everyone.
  • The " Inclusive Design Toolkit " provides examples of how the principles of Design for All can be implemented.
  • Other examples of Design for All in Information and Communication Technology will be presented on the web page with educational and training material EDeAN.

Related Networks and Projects

EDeAN - The European Design for All e-Accessibility Network

The European Design for All e-Accessibility Network - EDeAN is a network of 160 organizations from Member States of the European Union. The goal of the network is to support all citizens to access to information society. EDeAN offers this:

  • A European forum on the topic of Design for All, which is also supports the objective of the EU e-Inclusion
  • Awareness in the public and private sectors
  • Online sources and materials relating to Design for All

The network is coordinated and supported by the national EDeAN contact centers that exist in each EU Member State to the annually changing EDeAN Secretariat.

EIDD - Design for All Europe

Another network that was founded in 1993 and represents national member organizations in 22 countries throughout Europe, is EIDD - Design for All Europe. It has set itself the goal for all to improve the quality of life through design. EIDD promotes active cooperation and communication between professionals, who are interested in the theory and practice of Design for All. It builds bridges on one side to the design community and on the other side to all the communities in which design for all improved the quality of life for everyone clearly. The national member organization in Germany is the European Institute of Design for All in Germany eV EDAD.

EDAD - European Institute Design for All in Germany eV

EDAD is the national member organization of EIDD - Design for All Europe and was founded in 2004 in Münster / Westphalia. founded. EDAD sees itself as the Germany -wide information platform for Design for All. EDAD demands and promotes a design of the built environment as well as of products, services, or services that are easily accessible to people as possible, accessible and useful ..

Examples of funded with European funds research projects in the field of ICT and participation

  • Design for All for eInclusion

This project supports the network EDeAN. Project objectives are, among others, the development of an exemplary training program for the industry employed information and communication technology professionals, course structures and curricula for the study of " Design for All " in curricula for bachelor / undergraduate and master / diploma, as well as an online knowledge base on Design for All.

  • DIADEM: Delivering Inclusive Access for Disabled or Elderly Members of the community

The project goal is the development of web - browser interface that can be adapted for people with reduced cognitive abilities, and the home and can be used in the profession.

  • I2HOME: Intuitive interaction for everyone with home appliances based on industry standards

The project is developing a universal remote control that will allow access to everyday domestic devices and equipment over the Internet.

  • SHARE IT: Supported Human Autonomy for Recovery and Enhancement of cognitive and motor abilities using Information Technologies

This project develops scalable and automatically adjust additional functions to allow supportive technology can be integrated into smart home information and communication technology equipment.

This project is concerned with the next generation of assistive technology, the hearing-impaired people will support them to participate fully in the information society.

  • CogKnow: Helping people with mild dementia navigate Their day

CogKnow has aimed at developing cognitive aids and prototypically implement to aid people to cope with everyday life despite dementia.

  • Monami: Mainstreaming Ambient Intelligence

The project aims to make the accessibility of consumer goods and services taken for granted. The goal is a technical infrastructure and platform that allows elderly and disabled people to live in their homes and familiar surroundings.

  • USEM: User Empowerment in Standardization

Within the project, consumers are trained in the methods of standardization to enable them to participate in standardization activities in the field of information and communication technology.

  • Accessible
United Nations General Assembly International Telecommunication Union Web Accessibility Initiative Facial recognition system
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