is an open access repository that collects the work of Arts et Métiers ParisTech researchers and makes it freely available over the web where possible. ABSTRACTAssistive Technologies are specialized products aiming to partly compensate for the loss of autonomy experienced by disabled people. Because they address special needs in a highly-segmented market, they are often considered as niche products. To improve their design and make them tend to Universality, we propose the EMFASIS framework (Extended Modularity, Functional Accessibility, and Social Integration Strategy). We first elaborate on how this strategy conciliates niche and Universalist views, which may appear conflicting at first sight. We then present three examples illustrating its application for designing Assistive Technologies: the design of an overbed table, an upper-limb powered orthose and a powered wheelchair. We conclude on the expected outcomes of our strategy for the social integration and participation of disabled people.

In this paper we describe a case study of Universal Design applied to mobile phone physical devices. Using a user-centered design process, we tried to integrate visually-impaired, hearing-impaired and elderly peoples' needs to design mock-ups adapted in terms of usability and design style.