2004 Summer Institute : Final Report

How can we develop information technology to enhance the participation technology to enhance the participation of people with disabilities?

Importance of Occupations

• Those activities that are meaningful/give meaning to one’s life
• Some are “need to do”
• Some are “want to do”

Occupations in a technological world

Added a new dimension and level of complexity to our occupations

• “more is better”
• New language and jargon
• New ways of doing things

Technology as an interface

The person – the technology user

• Each person has a mix of abilities
  • Physical
  • Cognitive
  • Affective
• What type of demands does technology place on the user?

Physical Considerations

• Two directions for development
  • Assistive technology – used to meet the physical demands of the environment
  • Universal design – alter the physical demands of the environment
• Apply principles of universal design to new assistive and information technologies.

Cognitive Considerations

• Cognitive demands the technology places on person
• Assistive technology – limited development or consideration of cognitive demands
• Universal Design – some consideration of cognitive demands
  • E.g. “simple and intuitive design”
  • E.g. “tolerance for error”

Affective or emotional reaction to technology

• Infrequently considered in development, yet perhaps one of the most important factors in technology use/non-use
• Use may give rise to negative feelings such as:
  • Embarrassment
  • Frustration
  • Disempowerment
  • Insecurity/issues of safety

Suggestions

• Careful consideration of the physical and cognitive demands that technology places on the person may help mitigate the negative emotional reaction
• Develop information technology to promote feelings of:
  • Dignity
  • Efficiency and accuracy
  • Empowerment
  • Safety and security

Challenge

• How can we develop technology to simultaneously avoid potentially negative reactions and promote feelings of mastery?