Universal Usability: Past, Present, and Future

Meiselwitz, Gabriele; Wentz, Brian; Lazar, Jonathan

doi:10.1561/9781601983770

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 301 publications

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“…Further, with the fast-paced development and evolution of digital media, there is the risk that by the time an assistive solution has made a given technology accessible, it may already be obsolete (Jaeger, 2012;Weber, 2006). An alternative advocated by many is universal design or universal usability, in which products and environments are designed from the outset to be accessible for all people, to the greatest extent possible (The Center for Universal Design, 1997;Meiselwitz et al, 2009).…”

Section: The Digital Disability Dividementioning

confidence: 99%

Unrealized potential: Exploring the digital disability divide

Dobransky

Hargittai

2016

Poetics

159

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While the digital inequality literature has considered differences in the online experiences of many population segments, relatively little work has examined how people with disabilities (PWD) have incorporated digital media into their lives. Based on a national survey of American adults, this paper explores this question through considering both barriers to Internet use and the possibilities the Internet offers PWD. Findings indicate barriers for many PWD to accessing the Internet. Those with five of six types of disabilities measured are considerably less likely to be online than those who are not disabled. People who are deaf or hearing impaired to do not lag in Internet access once we account for demographics, Web use skills, and Internet experiences. However, the study also finds evidence that once online, PWD engage in a range of uses of the Internet as much as people without disability. Moreover, PWD take distinct interest in certain online activities, such as sharing their own content and reviewing products and services, pointing to ways they may go online to adapt and respond to the wider inaccessible society. These findings indicate great potential for the Internet for people with disabilities and suggest that moving more of them online holds the potential for considerable gains among this group.

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Section: The Digital Disability Dividementioning

confidence: 99%

Unrealized potential: Exploring the digital disability divide

Dobransky

Hargittai

2016

Poetics

159

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“…This idea is strongly linked to the concept of accessibility, which aims to create the necessary ways for people, regardless of having some special need or not, to achieve a given task with the highest possible quality. In this context, the concept of universal usability has been created, with the objective of enabling more than 90% of people to use a certain technology without great difficulties [2], [3]. Examples of universal accessibility are accessible staircases, which provide easier access for wheelchair users but also can make the life of other users easier and more productive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

UEFI BIOS Accessibility for the Visually Impaired

Machado¹,

Vieira²

2017

2017 VII Brazilian Symposium on Computing Systems Engineering (SBESC)

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People with some kind of disability face a high level of difficulty for everyday tasks because, in many cases, accessibility was not considered necessary when the task or process was designed. An example of this scenario is a computer's BIOS configuration screens, which do not consider the specific needs, such as screen readers, of visually impaired people. This paper proposes the idea that it is possible to make the pre-operating system environment accessible to visually impaired people. We report our work-in-progress in creating a screen reader prototype, accessing audio cards compatible with the High Definition Audio specification in systems running UEFI compliant firmware.Comment: 6 page

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“…For professional writers and instructors, accessibility involves ensuring the accessibility and usability of the texts that we create and the classroom spaces that we cultivate. Theories of disability and accessibility have appeared in professional communication scholarship through discussions of professional and technical writing pedagogy (Boyle & Rivers, 2016;Colton & Walton, 2015;Meloncon, 2013;Palmeri, 2006;Salvo, 2005;Walters, 2010;Wilson, 2000), accessibility in online education contexts (Oswal, 2013,2015;Oswal & Meloncon, 2014), and UD (Brizee, Sousa, & Driscoll, 2012;Dolmage, 2005,2009;Mbipom, 2009;Meiselwitz, Wentz, & Lazar, 2010;Oswal & Meloncon, 2017;Sandhu, 2001). However, attention to this ethical dimension of disability and accessibility that goes beyond technical or legal accessibility is still often absent from business and professional communication pedagogies.…”

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confidence: 99%

Foregrounding Accessibility Through (Inclusive) Universal Design in Professional Communication Curricula

Hitt

2018

Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

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Incorporating universal design (UD) both as a topic of discussion and as a pedagogical approach allows business and professional communication instructors to foreground accessibility in ways that acknowledge the rhetorical situatedness of accessibility. This article offers UD strategies that reimagine accessibility not just as a requirement that accommodates users but as an opportunity to create a rich rhetorical user experience for diverse populations. To illustrate how accessibility can be foregrounded in professional communication curricula, this article details the development of an information design course focused on usability and accessibility.

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Universal Usability: Past, Present, and Future

Cited by 11 publications

References 301 publications

Unrealized potential: Exploring the digital disability divide

Unrealized potential: Exploring the digital disability divide

UEFI BIOS Accessibility for the Visually Impaired

Foregrounding Accessibility Through (Inclusive) Universal Design in Professional Communication Curricula

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