Universal Usability: Designing Computer Interfaces for Diverse User Populations

Description

Universal Usability is the concept of designing computer interfaces that are easy for all users to utilize. It is a concept which many decry as elusive, impossible, or impractical, but this book, which addresses usability issues for a number of diverse user groups, proves that there is no problem in interface design that cannot be solved, or at least improved upon. Individuals with cognitive, motor, and perceptual impairments, as well as older, younger, and economically disadvantaged users, face a variety of complex challenges when interacting with computers. However, with user involvement, good design practice, and thorough testing, computer interfaces can be successfully developed for any user population.

 

This book, featuring key chapters by Human-Computer Interaction luminaries such as Jonathan Lazar, Ron Baecker, Allison Druin, Ben Shneiderman, Brad Myers and Jenny Preece, examines innovative and groundbreaking research and practice, and provides a practical overview of a number of successful projects which have addressed a need for these specific user populations. Chapters in this book address topics including age diversity, economic diversity, language diversity, visual impairment, and spinal cord injuries. Several of these trailblazing projects in the book are amongst the first to examine usability issues for users with Down Syndrome, users with Amnesia, users with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and users with Alzheimer's Disease, and coverage extends to projects where multiple categories of needs are addressed.

 

These chapters represent real-world projects, being carried out on different continents. The authors of the chapters also represent diversity—interface researchers and software developers in university, industrial, and government settings. In the practical spirit of the book, chapter authors provide guidelines and suggestions for those attempting similar projects, as well as implications for different stakeholders such as policymakers, researchers, and designers. Ideal for students of HCI and User Interface Design, and essential reading for usability practitioners, this fascinating collection of real-world projects demonstrates that computer interfaces can truly be designed to meet the needs of any category of user.

Table of Contents

Editor's Note.

Preface - Ben Shneiderman.

1. Introduction to Universal Usability - Jonathan Lazar.

2. Designing Searching and Browsing Software for Elementary-Age Children -  Hilary Hutchinson, Allison Druin & Benjamin B. Bederson.

3. The Why and How of Senior-Focused Design - Teri O'Connell.

4. Online Redesign of a Web Site's Information Architecture to Improve Accessibility for Users Who are Blind - Vanessa Evers and Hans Hillen.

5. Listening to Choropleth Maps: Interactive Sonification of Geo-Referenced Data For Users With Visual Impairment -Haixia Zhao, Ben Shneiderman & Catherine Plaisant.

6. Improving Screen Readers for Blind Users - Jonathan Lazar & Aaron Allen.

7. Web Fun Central: Online Learning Tools for Individuals with Down Syndrome - Matt Myers, Assadour Kirijian & Sylvie Charland.

8. Using Virtual Peer Technology as an Intervention for Children with Autism -
Andrea Tartaro & Justine Cassell.

9. Evidence-based computer-assisted instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorders - Christina Whalen, Brooke Ingersoll, Lars Liden & Sven Liden.

10. Making Software Accessible for Users with Dementia - Norman Alm, Richard Dye, Arlene Astell, Maggie Ellis, Gary Gowans & Jim Campbell.

11. Designing a Cognitive Aid for and with People who have Anterograde Amnesia - Mike Wu, Ron Baecker & Brian Richards.

12. Memories of a Life: A Design Case Study for Alzheimer's Disease -
Tira Cohene, Ron Baecker & Elsa Marziali, and Simona Mindy.

13.  Interaction Techniques for Users with Spinal Cord Injuries: A Speech Based Solution - Jinjuan Feng and Andrew Sears.

14. Adding Gestural Text Entry to Input Devices for People with Motor Impairments - Jacob Wobbrock & Brad A. Myers.

15. The Creating Community Connections Project: Social and Cultural Approaches for Engaging Low-Income Communities - Randal Pinkett.

16. Implementing Community-Based Participatory Research to Reduce Health and Technology Disparities Among Low Income African-American Women -
Diane Maloney-Krischmar, Eleanor Walker, David Bushnell & Sadanand Sirvastava.

17. Evaluating the Usability and Accessibility of an Online Form for Census Data Collection - Elizabeth D. Murphy, Lawrence A. Malakhoff and David A. Coon.

18.Internationalizing Greenstone: A Multi-Lingual Tool for Building Digital Libraries - David M. Nichols, Te Taka Keegan, David Bainbridge, Sally Jo Cunningham, Michael Dewship & Ian H. Witten.

19. Making Universal Access Truly Universal: Looking Towards the Future -
Jennifer Preece.