Accessibility Analysis: Researchers Evaluate Products’ Usability for People With Disabilities and Recommend Design Improvements
By Georgia Tech Research News,Publication Date: December 2005
Article discusses the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)’s Accessibility Evaluation Facility, which assesses a variety of products in terms of requirements mandated in Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act. Research participants are recruited from the community, and perform a series of tasks using specific products. The researchers monitor the participants’ performance in order to collect objective accessibility data. The researchers’ ultimate goal is to make recommendations that can lead to universal design so that products are accessible to everyone. Examples of universally designed products are listed, as they include cell phones with reduced background noise for people who are hard of hearing. To further assist designers and government officials with Section 508 compliance, researchers at GTRI and Georgia Tech’s Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access created the Accessibility Assistant, which is an online evaluation tool. The Accessibility Assistant includes a database of more than 400 accessibility guidelines for various types of products, and can be found on the GTRI’s website (http://accessibility.gtri.gatech.edu/assistant/accessibility_assistant_v5/assistant_home.php).
Published by: Georgia Institute of Technology (Website:http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/rnpo.html)
Link to text: http://gtresearchnews.gatech.edu/newsrelease/access.htm
