Promoting Awareness of Access and Usability Needs for Wireless Products

October, 2006 – September, 2011

^{Apparel tags with clothing size: "One Size Doesn't Fit All," clothing style: Wireless Technology; price: "Can't Afford Not To," brands: Wireless RERC and Universal Design}

Staff

• Jim Mueller, Project Director
• Ben Lippincott

Problem

• Wireless industry managers complain of lack of awareness of accessibility and usability features by customers with disabilities
• Wireless customers with disabilities complain of lack of awareness of their needs by wireless industry managers, and by retail and customer support staff.
• Emerging wireless developments and industry regulations require ongoing efforts to promote effective implementation

Approach

• Explore opportunities for enhancing industry awareness of the needs of customers with disabilities through members of the RERC’s previous Industry Forum (2001-2006).
• Develop opportunities for increasing awareness within new wireless industry partners.
• Develop modules for awareness training and assess their effectiveness through training of industry partners and pre- and post-training measures.
• Disseminate findings of RERC projects relevant to the wireless industry through internet, industry training, and conferences
• Collaborate with ATIS on development of video and print materials to promote implementation of Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) regulations.

Progress / Updates

• RERC facilities are available for industry training seminars, or the information may be presented at industry sites. Participants to date have included staff of the AT&T User Experience Group, Sapient Corporation, and IDEO.

• A 2-hour interactive seminar on Universal Design titled "One Size Doesn't Fit All," was delivered to members of the AT&T User Experience Group, program managers from Sapient Corporation, and other RERC members.  The seminar included gloves and dark glasses to help participants understand the functional characteristics of certain disabilities.

_{Participant operates a Blackberry using gloves to limit}

_{fine motor skills and glasses to simulate a visual impairment.}

Resources / Links

• World Usability Day Presentation (Powerpoint - November, 2006)