THE UNIVERSAL ACCESS HANDBOOK

Edited by
Constantine Stephanidis
Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas

A VOLUME IN THE HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SERIES
Gavriel Salvendy, Series Editor

In recent years, the field of Universal Access has made significant progress towards consolidating theoretical approaches, scientific methods and technologies, as well as exploring new application domains. Universal Access refers to the conscious and systematic effort to proactively apply principles, methods and tools of universal design, in order to develop Information Society Technologies which are accessible and usable by all citizens, including the very young and the elderly, as well as people with different types of disabilities, thus avoiding the need for a posteriori adaptations or specialized design. The requirement for Universal Access emerged in the early ‘90s from the growing impact of the fusion of the emerging technologies, and from the different dimensions of diversity, which are intrinsic to the emergence of the Information Society. These dimensions become evident when, for example, considering the broad range of user characteristics, the changing nature of human activities, the variety of contexts of use, the increasing availability and diversification of information and knowledge sources and services, and the proliferation of technological platforms. Since then, the scope of investigation in the field of Universal Access has broadened, more systematic investigations of users, contexts and technology diversity in the Information Society have been carried out, new methodological approaches have been elaborated, existing approaches have been embedded in the development of support tools, a wide variety of novel interaction techniques have emerged for supporting users diversity, and a plethora of applications and case studies putting to practice all the above have become available. Additionally, awareness and policy have also progressed to the point that now accessibility to the basic technological infrastructure is recognized by many as a fundamental human right.

The "Universal Access Handbook" reflects all these recent developments in an effort to consolidate present knowledge in the field of Universal Access and open new perspectives for the future. It is a collection of 61 Chapters, structured into nine parts, written by leading international authorities, affiliated to academic, research and industrial organizations.

This Handbook provides a structured guide to professionals and practitioners working in the field, a comprehensive and interrelated collection of reference articles for academics and researchers, an indispensable source of information for interdisciplinary and cross-thematic study, an important educational tool in an increasingly globalized research and development environment, and a base line for further in-depth studies in the subject matter in the future.

Table of Contents

C. Stephanidis "Preface"

Part I: Introduction to Universal Access

• Universal Access and Design for All in the Evolving Information Society
  C. Stephanidis
• Perspectives on Accessibility: From Assistive Technologies to Universal Access and Design for All
  Pier Luigi Emiliani
• Accessible and Usable Design of Information and Communication Technologies
  Gregg C. Vanderheiden

Part II: Diversity in the User Population

• Dimensions of User Diversity
  Mahima Ashok and Julie A. Jacko
• Motor Impairments and Universal Access
  Simeon Keates
• Sensory Impairments
  Erin Kinzel and Julie A. Jacko
• Cognitive Disabilities
  Clayton Lewis
• Age-Related Differences in the Interface Design Process
  Sri Kurniawan

Part III: Technologies for Diverse Contexts of Use

• International and Intercultural User Interfaces
  Aaron Marcus and Pei-Luen Patrick Rau
• Accessing the Web
  Vicki L. Hanson, John T. Richards, Simon Harper, and Shari Trewin
• Handheld Devices and Mobile Phones
  Anne Kaikkonen, Eija Kaasinen, and Pekka Ketola
• Virtual Reality
  Darin Hughes, Eileen Smith, Randall Shumaker, and Charles Hughes
• Biometrics and Universal Access
  Michael C. Fairhurst
• Interface Agents: Potential Benefits and Challenges for Universal Access
  Elisabeth Andre and Matthias Rehm

Part IV: Development Lifecycle of User Interfaces

• User Requirements Elicitation for Universal Access
  Margherita Antona, Stavroula Ntoa, Ilia Adami, and Constantine Stephanidis
• Unified Design for User Interface Adaptation
  Anthony Savidis and Constantine Stephanidis
• Designing for Universally Accessible Games
  Dimitris Grammenos, Anthony Savidis, and Constantine Stephanidis
• Software Requirements for Inclusive User Interfaces
  Anthony Savidis and Constantine Stephanidis
• Tools for Inclusive Design
  Sam Waller and P. John Clarkson
• The Evaluation of Accessibility, Usability, and User Experience
  Helen Petrie and Nigel Bevan

Part V: User Interface Development: Architectures, Components, and Tools

• A Unified Software Architecture for User Interface Adaptation
  Anthony Savidis and Constantine Stephanidis
• A Decision-Making Specification Language for User Interface Adaptation
  Anthony Savidis and Constantine Stephanidis
• Methods and Tools for the Development of Unified Web-Based User Interfaces
  Constantina Doulgeraki, Nikolaos Partarakis, Alexandros Mourouzis, and Constantine Stephanidis
• User Modeling: A Universal Access Perspective
  Ray Adams
• Model-Based Tools: A User-Centered Design for All Approach
  Christian Stary
• Markup Languages in HCI
  Fabio Paterno and Carmen Santoro
• Abstract Interaction Objects in User Interface Programming Languages
  Anthony Savidis

Part VI: Interaction Techniques and Devices

• Screen Readers
  Chieko Asakawa and Barbara Leporini
• Virtual Mouse and Keyboards for Text Entry
  Grigori Evreinov
• Speech Input to Support Universal Access
  Jinjuan Feng and Andrew Sears
• Natural Language and Dialogue Interfaces
  Kristiina Jokinen
• Auditory Interfaces and Sonification
  Michael A. Nees and Bruce N. Walker
• Haptic Interaction
  Gunnar Jansson and Roope Raisamo
• Vision-Based Hand Gesture Recognition for Human-Computer Interaction
  Xenophon Zabulis, Harris Baltzakis, and Antonis Argyros
• Automatic Hierarchical Scanning for Windows Applications
  Stavroula Ntoa, Anthony Savidis, and Constantine Stephanidis
• Eye Tracking
  Paivi Majaranta, Richard Bates, and Michael Donegan
• Brain-Body Interfaces
  Paul Gnanayutham and Jennifer George
• Sign Language in the Interface: Access for Deaf Signers
  Matt Huenerfauth and Vicki L. Hanson
• Visible Language for Global Mobile Communication: A Case Study of a Design Project in Progress
  Aaron Marcus
• Contributions of "Ambient" Multimodality to Universal Access
  Noelle Carbonell

Part VII: Application Domains

• Vocal Interfaces in Supporting and Enhancing Accessibility in Digital Libraries
  Tiziana Catarci, Stephen Kimani, Yael Dubinsky, and Silvia Gabrielli
• Theories and Methods for Studying Online Communities for People with Disabilities and Older People
  Ulrike Pfeil and Panayiotis Zaphiris
• Computer-Supported Cooperative Work
  Tom Gross and Mirko Fetter
• Developing Inclusive e-Training
  Anthony Savidis and Constantine Stephanidis
• Training through Entertainment for Learning Difficulties
  Anthony Savidis, Dimitris Grammenos, and Constantine Stephanidis
• Universal Access to Multimedia Documents
  Helen Petrie, Gerhard Weber, and Thorsten Volkel
• Interpersonal Communication
  Annalu Waller
• Universal Access in Public Terminals: Information Kiosks and ATMs
  Georgios Kouroupetroglou
• Intelligent Mobility and Transportation for All
  Evangelos Bekiaris, Maria Panou, Evangelia Gaitanidou, Alexandros Mourouzis, and Brigitte Ringbauer
• Electronic Educational Books for Blind Students
  Dimitris Grammenos, Anthony Savidis, Yannis Georgalis, Themistoklis Bourdenas, and Constantine Stephanidis
• Mathematics and Accessibility: A Survey
  Enrico Pontelli, Arthur I. Karshmer, and Gopal Gupta
• Cybertherapy, Cyberpsychology, and the Use of Virtual Reality in Mental Health
  Patrice Renaud, Stephane Bouchard, Sylvain Chartier, and Marie-Pierre Bonin

Part VIII: Non Technological Issue

• Policy and Legislation as a Framework of Accessibility
  Erkki Kemppainen, John D. Kemp, and Hajime Yamada
• Standards and Guidelines
  Gregg C. Vanderheiden
• eAccessibility Standardization
  Jan Engelen
• Management of Design for All
  Christian Bühler
• Security and Privacy for Universal Access
  Mark T. Maybury
• Best Practice in Design for All
  Klaus Miesenberger

PART IX: Looking to the Future

• Implicit Interaction
  Alois Ferscha
• Ambient Intelligence
  Norbert A. Streitz and Gilles Privat
• Emerging Challenges
  Constantine Stephanidis