Raising the Challenge for a More Accessible Information Society: "Case Studies and Perspectives from Persons with Disabilities”

Global Initiative on Inclusive ICTs
1st Global Forum
Monday, March 26, 2007
United Nations Headquarters, New York, Room 4

Martin Gould Remarks

Introduction

Good morning to you all. And thank you for inviting the National Council on Disability to participate at this global forum.  This presentation today offers a brief overview of our
research on the accessibility of select IT products and assistive technologies.  This overview will cover results from our Design for Inclusion research study that involved:
a User study, a Product analysis, an Industry analysis, and a Market analysis
We will also note the implications of these research findings for the global market and work of the G3ict.

Market for ICT

According to the 2006 report entitled, Digital Planet, the global ICT marketplace was valued at $3 trillion in 2006 (digital Planet, 2006)  Digital Planet 2006 also projected that the global ICT marketplace will be valued at $4 trillion by 2009.

What is “the world” buying? According to the same publication (Digital Planet 2006) in absolute dollars, communications is the largest single ICT category (among the four major categories of hardware, software, services, and communications) purchased in 2006 with $1.57 trillion out of a total of $3 trillion of total ICT spending (Digital Planet 2006).

“Design for Inclusion” (NCD, 2004)

In 2004, we examined the roles and perspectives of industry, Federal Government, and consumers with respect to ATMs, cell phones, PDAs, distance learning software, TVs, and voice recognition technologies.  We also analyzed emerging ICT markets in the top 5
developing countries, with the highest populations, [determined by GlobalEDGE (2003)] as having the highest overall market potential. Those countries were China, India, Russia, Mexico, and Turkey.

Our analysis was designed to help answer several guiding questions including:

•       Is there a market for more accessibly designed products?
•        Does the capacity exist to develop more accessibly designed products in each of the presented product lines?
•         What factors influence the market for more accessibly designed products for each of the product lines presented?

User Study

The purpose was to document user acceptance and use of universally designed products. Five focus groups with participants with different disabilities were recruited. The groups discussed specific experiences with the 6 products; generated lists of product features that affect the accessibility of the devices; and, rated the impact of each device’s feature on the overall accessibility of the product for their particular range of functional capabilities.

We analyzed the data from the focus groups, resulting in a list of features that maximize the accessibility of a specific product line for the range of functional limitations represented by this study. We also worked with focus groups to conduct performance testing to gain objective measurements. We gave people brief evaluation scenarios in
which they were asked to perform a series of typical tasks associated with each device. The ability of each participant to perform the task was documented. The degree to which an accessibility feature actually facilitated task performance was also documented.

The key findings of the user study were that:

1. Users with disabilities are often asked to pay high prices for phones with feature sets that are not useful to them.

2. Rapid changes in technology often cause decreases in accessibility.

3. Users are reluctant to adopt technologies that have proven frustrating in the past.

4. Users have difficulty finding devices that match their functional capabilities because of the lack of familiarity sales associates have with accessibility features.

5. Users are reluctant to invest in technologies that have an unproven accessibility record.

and

6. Accessibility solutions must consider the needs of the individual with disabilities.

Product Analysis

As we mentioned before, a detailed analysis was conducted for each of the product lines selected for study. Again, the 6product lines were: ATMs, cell phones, PDAs, distance learning software, TVs, and voice recognition technologies

Our intent was to document accessibility issues that prevent people with disabilities from fully accessing the selected products and to document accessibility features that either were currently offered or could be offered by manufacturers.

The end result of this product analysis was the assignment of an accessibility grade to each product line for each disability group. These grades may be useful to designers and manufacturers to identify the target populations that should be consulted during the design process so that more accessible design features are incorporated into new products.

We also graded the six (6) product lines for accessibility. The grades and their definitions were:

A = Excellent accessibility. Users with an impairment are generally able to make full use of the product, with few limitations.

B = Good accessibility. Users with an impairment are able to make good use of the product, but some areas of product functionality are not accessible.

C = Fair accessibility. Users with an impairment can access some of the functionality of the device, but many aspects of product functionality are not accessible.

D = Poor accessibility. Users with an impairment can make use of a small proportion of the functionality of a device, but most aspects of product functionality are not accessible.

F = Accessibility failure. Users with an impairment are generally not able to use the product.

Accessibility Grades for Each Target Population for the Six Product Lines

As these results indicate, certain product lines are very accessible to some people but largely inaccessible to others. It would be helpful in informing the universal design
process and developing products that are more accessible to people with disabilities, if designers consulted the target populations for which a product line received accessibility grades of D or F during future product development. For ATMs, users who are blind will likely be unable to use an ATM or portions of the core functionality because of a lack of accessibility features; blind users should be considered in the design of new features for ATMs. Cellular phones are largely inaccessible to users who are blind and users who are deaf. Incorporating more features that make this product line more accessible to these users will expand the market for cellular phones. Distance learning software is largely inaccessible to users who are blind and users who are deaf. Adhering to accessibility regulations and guidelines for designing software will improve the accessibility of distance learning software for these user groups. PDAs are largely inaccessible to users who are blind and users with upper mobility impairments. Televisions were found to be most inaccessible to users who are blind because of an inability to locate, access, and read information, features, and controls. Voice recognition software is largely inaccessible to users who are blind, hard of hearing, or deaf.

Industry Study

The purpose of the industry study was to document universal design practices within industries represented by the six product lines selected for study. Five categories of facilitators and barriers to accessible design were examined:
                        Design;
                        Organizational;
                        Informational;
                        Financial; and
                        Legal.

Results from the industry study found that the most common approaches to addressing accessibility issues are:

Increasing awareness of employees;
Integrating accessibility requirements into the
design process;
Performing accessibility verification testing; and
Establishing an accessibility program office.

Implications of NCD’s Research for the G3ict

NCD’s study results and analyses demonstrate that the classes of people making up the market for accessible products and services include users—

• with disabilities
• with temporary disabilities
• with functional limitations due to situational factors
• with low literacy skills
• in low bandwidth areas
• desiring increased functionality and usability
• who do not speak English as their primary language
• in high-population-density areas
• who are elderly

From this research we learned that designing with access in mind can significantly increase the size of ICT markets on a global basis. Good business practices dictate that designers and engineers avoid excluding large groups of consumers from accessing and using ICT. Groups at the highest risk of unintentional exclusion are—

• People with disabilities
• Individuals 65+ years old
• Consumers living within low-bandwidth
information infrastructures
• Users of English as a Second Language (ESL)
• Tourists traveling to nonnative language destinations
• Consumers living in high-density populations

The fiscal or business implications are clear. Consumers spend one out of every four ICT dollars worldwide. Per capita ICT spending increased between 2005 and 2006, from $538 to $567. Per capita ICT spending has increased every year since 2001 (Digital Planet 2006). It is estimated that there are 600 million people with disabilities world wide.

Conclusions

People with disabilities told us that when it comes to ICT, they want:

• to use the same products that everyone else uses; and
• do not want to be limited to specialized products that are more costly.

From our Design for Inclusion research study, we learned that implementation of universal design is the best way to satisfy this desire of people with disabilities, while also providing more cost-effective products for all users.

Products and services that come closer to accommodating a variety of physical and cognitive differences will benefit both users and companies.

Thank you.