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Module Code
SPEC9220
Module Type
Option
ECTS Points
5
Duration
1 Semester Contact Hours
3 hours per
week
Pre-requisites
None
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Universal Design is the design of products and
services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent
possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design.
All providers of IT systems have a legal (as well as a moral)
requirement to make their products available to the widest range
of users, irrespective of their physical ability, literacy
capabilities, nationality, geographic location, or learning
circumstance. Using Knowledge Engineering techniques it becomes
possible to develop I.T. solutions which conform to Universal
Design Standards in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Universal Design is not just about catering for
disabled people, since the way disability is defined and
understood has changed in the last decade. Disability was once
assumed as a way to characterise a particular set of largely
stable limitations. Now the World Health Organisation (WHO) has
moved toward a new international classification system that
emphasises functional status. The new classification system is not
just about people with traditionally acknowledged disabilities but
about all people. It assumes there is a continuum of degrees of
ability and acknowledges that many disabilities are not apparent
but based on chronic health conditions -- like arthritis, heart
disease, back problems -- that impact function. The WHO recognises
ability as a contextual variable, dynamic over time and in
relation to circumstances. Increasingly, it is also acknowledged
that the prevalence of disability corresponds to economic status,
thus Universal Design is literally "Design For All".
Universal Design is closely related to the topic
of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and to the topics of
Internationalisation and Localisation which are important in cases
where it is not be possible to fully implement a Universal Design.
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Essential Reading |
Carroll, J., 2003, HCI Models, Theories and
Frameworks: Toward a Multidisciplinary Science, Morgan Kaufmann
Cook, AM., Hussey, SM., 2001, Assistive
Technologies: Principles and Practice, Mosby
Dix, A, Finlay, J, Abowd GD, Beale R, 2003,
Human-Computer Interaction, Prentice Hall
Preiser, W, Ostroff, E. 2001, Universal Design
Handbook, McGraw-Hill |
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Supplemental
Reading |
Stephanidis C (ed), Universal Access in HCI,
Inclusive Design in the Information Society (Volume 4, Proceedings
of the 2nd International Conference on Universal Access in Human -
Computer Interaction, 22-27 June, Crete, Greece),
Norman, DA., 1999, The Design of Everyday Things,
MIT Press
Nielsen, J., 2000, Designing Web Usability: The
Practice of Simplicity, New Riders
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Web References, journals and other sources |
Web References
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For information on
how to apply
click here
For more information contact
Deirdre Lawless
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