UniversalUsability.org

On June 2, 2006, the Workshop on Universal Usability will take place in conjunction with the Human-Computer Interaction Lab's 23rd Annual Symposium (at the University of Maryland).

Jonathan Lazar and Sarah Horton will lead the workshop. Description of the workshop:

Many governmental initiatives focus on providing universal access to technology for diverse user populations, but having access to technology doesn't help if the interfaces are hard to use. Universal usability is the study of making interfaces easy to use for all users, including young users, older users, economically disadvantaged users, and users with perceptual, motor, and cognitive impairments. Our goal for this workshop is to explore current trends in design and technology that help or hinder the development of universally usable interfaces. Specific topics that we hope to address include:

• Collaborative design: Designing user interfaces that can be adapted by the user
• Design methodology: Incorporating universal usability into the development process
• Tools: Software and guidelines for achieving universal usability
• Technologies: How technologies such as web applications and mobile devices affect universal usability
• Policies: Government policy related to universal usability

Each workshop participant will be expected to make a short 5-10 minute presentation.

One-page position papers were due May 15th.

Friday, October 22, 5:30 - 8:30 pm, Japan Society, East 47th Street, 1st and 2nd Avenues

Universal Design is the design of products and environments intended to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need of adaptation or specialized design. The concept of Universal Design was first created by Ronald Mace, internationally recognized architect and designer in the 1980s, and has since spread around the world. In Japan, one of the world's most rapidly aging societies, the universal design approach has been adopted by numerous companies and has become part of everyday life.

Sam Farber, Founder, OXO International Inc., will give the symposium's keynote address, followed by a panel discussion featuring: Dr. Daniel Fechtner, Director of Stroke Services, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation; Dr. Patricia Moore , President, Moore Design Associates and Adjunct Professor of Industrial Design at Arizona State University; Scott Henderson, Vice President of Industrial Design, Smart Design, Inc.; Bruce Hannah, Professor of Industrial Design, Pratt Institute; Dianne Pilgrim, Director-Emeritus, Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum; Satoshi Nakagawa, Principal, Tripod Design, Inc., among others.

The symposium aims to offer a deeper understanding of universal design by investigating how demographics, design initiatives and businesses intersect as key factors and players in the development of user-friendly, inclusive products for all people. Presented in collaboration with the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Followed by a reception.

CHI 2004 was last week in Vienna. Here are some of the events that were related to universal usability.

Tutorials: Cross-Cultural User-Interface Design

Workshops: Helping Users to Use Help, HCI and Homecare

Development consortium

Tuesday Papers: Universal usability

Wednesday Papers: Humane interface

Wednesday Panel: Technology: A Means for Enhancing the Independence and Connecivity of Older People

Wednesday Short talks: Web For All, and All For Web

With a name like The good, the bad and the irrelevant, how could you not want to attend this conference?

"The user and the future of information and communications technology," September 3-5, Helsinki. Organized by COST Action 269.

The goal is to bring together technology developers, designers, policy makers, social scientists (and others) to talk about a human-centric point of view to technology.

The programme lists topics such as diversity, design for communities, democracy, users as designers, and usability studies.