Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities Using Self-Service Technologies

Foreseeable game changing solutions to SSTs will allow for better universal access by better implementing features that are easy and intuitive to use from the inception. Additional robotic advancements will allow for better and easier delivery of goods for consumers. Improvements to artificial intelligence will allow for better communication through natural language and alternative forms of communication. Furthermore, artificial intelligence will aid consumers at SSTs by remembering the consumers preferences and needs. With all foreseeable game changing solutions people with disabilities will be consulted when new and improved SSTs are being developed allowing for the SST to maximize its potential

Study on risks and opportunities of digitalisation for financial inclusion. The perspective of vulnerable users in Estonia, Italy and UK with a focus on groups covered by the European Accessibility Act

The digitalization of financial services presents an unprecedented opportunity to increase the financial autonomy of millions of vulnerable people across the European Union. Implemented carefully, with reference to their needs, digitalization can benefit vulnerable groups, society as a whole, and - not least - the financial services organizations, which stand to gain from attracting more customers. But vulnerable people are not currently benefiting from this digitalization as best practise design and specifications are not always followed. There appears to be a lack of commitment on behalf of the financial institutions to use this opportunity to benefit the most vulnerable in society. This report aims to describe how digitalization, in the form of online banking services, is affecting end-users in vulnerable groups. It was commissioned by the European Commission for the Financial Service User Group (FSUG) and examines the state of financial inclusion of vulnerable people in the United Kingdom, Estonia and Italy. The report deals with view of the end-users, in particular it presents detailed information from the point of view of people with disabilities given the current context of the European Accessibility Act. Relevant responses were received from a range of end-users and organisations of end-users. In particular detailed comments were received from end-users and organisations of people with a sensory impairment. The report focuses on the provision made by the financial sector for accessibility to services, in particular through ticket machines, Point of Sale machines (PoS terminals), Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and personal devices such as mobile phones. The study involved extensive qualitative research with people at risk of digital exclusion, due to the introduction of digital financial systems. We also spoke to representatives of organizations which act on behalf of vulnerable groups. The study also made use of quantitative secondary statistics from existing studies on technology and services. The results present a mixed picture of the current situation to financial inclusion. The results show that many of the respondents (both individual users and representative organisations) reported that some systems were useable but added that if a particular user could not use them a third party would act on their behalf. The use of carers and other intermediaries is problematic as it can both remove the autonomy of the end-user and facilitate financial crime against them. Meanwhile many end-users expressed fear of digital financial systems when they were not accessible and when they did not provide information in the form that the end-user could understand. On a positive side, the report found some reassuring information on how digital financial systems could enable vulnerable end-users to use and access their money in a time and place that was suitable for them. This was particularly true for deaf or hearing-impaired ATM users. The report also highlights that despite there being legislation in all three countries it is adopted in very different ways. This includes access to information provided by government departments' online services and by banking service providers. The use of best practise approaches to assist vulnerable people was found to not be used consistently resulting in different levels of accessibility in all three the countries for different users. The research identified a number of positive examples of alternative practise that enabled safe and practical access to digital financial systems. But the main findings were that there is a lack of knowledge about accessible systems and processes among financial services institutions together with a lack of knowledge of the demand for these systems from users. Knowledge-sharing among institutions and countries could be of great value here to assist in inclusion in financial digital services. Results of the findings suggest that there is further work that can be done in this area for financial inclusion of vulnerable people. The comparison of the three countries in the study found that whilst technology can assist these people, it is often used by the financial sector to provide efficiency in business processes, often at the cost of access to those that are vulnerable. The following recommendations are based on the research findings carried out in the study. 1 The financial sector should consider the impact of change, innovation in technology and access to technology when providing: a. New services b. Amending services c. Curtailing services due to the adoption of technological solutions and efficiency driving measures d. Training for employees administering the services e. The sector should anticipate vulnerable people’s requirements for assistance, training and accessibility. Investment in new innovation should not be at the expense of exclusion of any sector of the population. The advancements in financial services and increasing use of alternate financial systems should be recognised by the regulated sector and provisions be made to assist all users and vulnerable users. This includes the training of employees to anticipate the requirements and difficulties that vulnerable persons may experience. Protection of vulnerable peoples should be at the forefront of those in the financial sector and the consideration of increasing lifespan of people globally means that vulnerability changes over a lifespan. Therefore, a concerted effort should be made for users that are currently vulnerable, those that may become vulnerable by ensuring security measures are safe but do not exclude this user group. This may be achieved developing technology, improving usability methods, recognition and secure measures for third party carer givers. 2 Financial service providers should ensure that technology and services are accessible (online and in person), that they meet local and EU accessibility legislation and best practise criteria and that they adopt the recommendations of organisations such as the W3C. This would ensure all users would experience similar security and autonomy when accessing services. 3 Interest groups that represent vulnerable persons should consider more effective strategies to represent the concerns of the vulnerable at national levels in Estonia and Italy, whereas such groups in the UK have more direct involvement with providers of financial services. Such concerted co-ordination will increase the recognition of how financial service providers should meet their obligation of inclusivity and accessibility. 4 Information on alternative ways of accessing services including the use of talking ATMs should be published by both the financial institutions and local and regional support groups to enable end-users to make informed decisions about their use of digital financial services. 5 Recognition must be given to the use of care givers acting as conduits to financial services. Secure measures must be designed to protect vulnerable persons, care givers and the financial service providers from a. Prospect of financial crime b. Risk in using carers to terms and conditions of these providers Furthermore, consideration needs to be given as to the transparent response mechanisms to be provided and action to be taken if financial crime takes place, that takes into account vulnerabilities of the user

Designing online social interaction for and with older people

This thesis describes my explorations and reflections regarding the design of online social interaction for and with older people. In 2008 when I started my doctoral investigation only a third of people over 65 years in the UK were using the Internet. This number has now increased to half of the population of 65-75 year-olds being connected to the Internet. From 2000 onwards EU wide directives increasingly encouraged research in the development of online technologies to manage the needs of an ageing population in the EU. Alongside health-related risks, the issue of social isolation is of particular interest to be tackled, considering there is a rapid development of new forms of communication and interaction media based on online technologies that could help in maintaining contact between people. A beneficial design strategy is to involve older people in the design process to ensure that technological developments are welcomed and actually used. However, engaging older people, who are not necessarily familiar with digital technologies, is not without challenges for the design researcher. My research focuses both on design practice (the development of artefacts) and the design process for online social interaction involving older people. The thesis describes practice-led research, for which I built the Teletalker (TT) and Telewalker (TW) systems as prototypes for experimentation and design research interventions. The TT can be described as a simple TV like online audio-video presence system connecting two locations. The TW is based on the same concept has been built specifically for vulnerable older people living in a care home. The work described involves embodied real-world interventions with contemporary approaches to designing with people. In particular I explore the delicate nature of the researcher/participant relationship. The research is reported as four sequential journeys. The first design journey started from a user-centred iterative design perspective and resulted in the construction of a wireframe for a website for older users. The second journey focused on building the TT and investigated its use in the real world by people with varied computer experience. The third journey involved designing the TW system specifically for elderly people in a care home. The fourth journey employed a co-design approach, with invited stakeholders, to reflect on the physical artefacts, discuss narratives of the previous design journeys and to co-create new online social technologies for the future. In summary, my PhD thesis contributes to design theory by providing: a reflected rationale for the choices of design approaches, documented examples of design research for social interaction and a novel approach to research with older people (the extended showroom). It further offers insights into people's online social interaction and proposes guidelines for conducting empirical research with older and vulnerable older people

Auditory interfaces: Using sound to improve the HSL metro ticketing interface for the visually impaired

Around 252 million trips by public transport are taken in Helsinki every year, and about 122 million passengers travel by Helsinki City Transport (tram, metro and ferry) in and around Finland's capitol. Given these numbers, it is important that the system be as wholly efficient, inclusive, and as easy to use as possible. In my master's thesis, I examine Helsinki Region Transport's ticketing and information system. I pay special attention to their new touch screen card readers, framing them in the context of increasing usability and accessibility through the use of sound design. I look at what design decisions have been made and compare these with a variety of available technology that exists today, as well as what solutions are being used in other cities. Throughout my research, I've placed an emphasis on sonic cues and sound design, as this is my area of study. Everything is assessed against the requirements and perspective of Helsinki's public transportation end users who are blind and visually impaired. I have used desk research, field research, user testing and stakeholder interviews in my methodology. I have put forth suggestions on how to improve the current system, taking into account the learnings from my research. I have looked at key points around people with disabilities and how sound can be used to improve accessibility and general functionality for all. I also hope to share this thesis with HSL and HKL, whom may use it to inform future optimization of their systems

The Role of Health Kiosks in 2009: Literature and Informant Review

Kiosks can provide patients with access to health systems in public locations, but with increasing home Internet access their usefulness is questioned. A literature and informant review identified kiosks used for taking medical histories, health promotion, self assessment, consumer feedback, patient registration, patient access to records, and remote consultations. Sited correctly with good interfaces, kiosks can be used by all demographics but many ‘projects’ have failed to become routine practice. A role remains for: (a) integrated kiosks as part of patient ‘flow’, (b) opportunistic kiosks to catch people’s attention. Both require clear ‘ownership’ to succeed

How a Diverse Research Ecosystem Has Generated New Rehabilitation Technologies: Review of NIDILRR’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers

Over 50 million United States citizens (1 in 6 people in the US) have a developmental, acquired, or degenerative disability. The average US citizen can expect to live 20% of his or her life with a disability. Rehabilitation technologies play a major role in improving the quality of life for people with a disability, yet widespread and highly challenging needs remain. Within the US, a major effort aimed at the creation and evaluation of rehabilitation technology has been the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERCs) sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. As envisioned at their conception by a panel of the National Academy of Science in 1970, these centers were intended to take a “total approach to rehabilitation”, combining medicine, engineering, and related science, to improve the quality of life of individuals with a disability. Here, we review the scope, achievements, and ongoing projects of an unbiased sample of 19 currently active or recently terminated RERCs. Specifically, for each center, we briefly explain the needs it targets, summarize key historical advances, identify emerging innovations, and consider future directions. Our assessment from this review is that the RERC program indeed involves a multidisciplinary approach, with 36 professional fields involved, although 70% of research and development staff are in engineering fields, 23% in clinical fields, and only 7% in basic science fields; significantly, 11% of the professional staff have a disability related to their research. We observe that the RERC program has substantially diversified the scope of its work since the 1970’s, addressing more types of disabilities using more technologies, and, in particular, often now focusing on information technologies. RERC work also now often views users as integrated into an interdependent society through technologies that both people with and without disabilities co-use (such as the internet, wireless communication, and architecture). In addition, RERC research has evolved to view users as able at improving outcomes through learning, exercise, and plasticity (rather than being static), which can be optimally timed. We provide examples of rehabilitation technology innovation produced by the RERCs that illustrate this increasingly diversifying scope and evolving perspective. We conclude by discussing growth opportunities and possible future directions of the RERC program

Designing Haptic Clues for Touchscreen Kiosks

Most interactive touchscreen kiosks are a challenge to accessibility: if graphics and sound fail in communication, the interaction process halts. In such a case, turning to the only remaining environmentally suited sense - the touch - is an intuitive option. To reinforce the interaction with interactive touchscreen kiosks it is possible to add haptic (touchable) feedback into the features of the device. The range of touchscreen-suited haptic technologies already enables some touch feedback from touchscreen surfaces and significant leaps still forward are being made at a constant rate. Due to this development it is relevant to review the human-centred factors affecting the design of haptic touchscreen in public kiosks. This thesis offers an overview for designing haptic clues for touchscreen kiosks. It emphasizes context sensitivity and the meaningfulness and communicability of different haptic design variants. As the main contribution, this thesis collects together the important considerations for the conscious design of haptic features in interactive kiosks and offers points of multimodal design considerations for designers intending to enrich their touchscreen interaction with haptic features

Spartan Daily, May 4, 1994

Volume 102, Issue 61https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/8561/thumbnail.jp

Ability-Based Design: Concept, Principles and Examples

Current approaches to accessible computing share a common goal of making technology accessible to users with disabilities. Perhaps because of this goal, they may also share a tendency to centralize disability rather than ability. We present a refinement to these approaches called ability-based design that consists of focusing on ability throughout the design process in an effort to create systems that leverage the full range of human potential. Just as user-centered design shifted the focus of interactive system design from systems to users, ability-based design attempts to shift the focus of accessible design from disability to ability. Although prior approaches to accessible computing may consider users’ abilities to some extent, ability-based design makes ability its central focus. We offer seven ability-based design principles and describe the projects that inspired their formulation. We also present a research agenda for ability-based design.Engineering and Applied Science