The User Requirements Document was produced by the partners working on the user involvement in workpackage 1 (led by ACE).
Introduction
Internet services, such as Web browsing, email and discussion fora
are central to many in their work, study and leisure. There is
every expectation that use of Internet services, (and related
technologies), will expand. The growing emphasis on access to
communication and information exchange between individuals and
societies, across the globe, presents opportunities and barriers to
those with communication disabilities and particularly for people
who use graphic symbol based augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) systems. The WWAAC project has a central aim of
making Internet services more accessible and usable to people with
communication disabilities.
User Centred Aims
To ensure WWAAC developments are accessible and usable by the
target population, a user requirements capture was conducted within
the user platform.
Background
In order to understand the context in which WWAAC work is being
conducted and to inform WWAAC developments, a detailed exploration
of state of the art developments in web accessibility, use of
email, echat and discussion fora for people with communication
disabilities was conducted. No significant developments
specifically supporting web browsing for people using AAC systems,
and people with dysphasia were identified. Similarly, no
significant developments in email/echat/discussion fora for people
with dysphasia have been distinguished. A number of developments
concerned with supporting email/echat for people using graphic
based symbol systems were identified and a critical appraisal of
significant features was conducted. Current understanding of the
barriers to augmentative and alternative communication system use
was documented.
Methods
User identification. The project defined the primary end users of
WWAAC to be: People who use graphic symbol-based augmentative and
alternative communication (AAC) systems to support/replace speech
and/or reading and/or writing, and older people with communication
disabilities who may, or may not, be relying on symbol based
communication aids, but who would benefit from adapted computer
software, to help access Internet services. End users therefore
included people with a range of disabilities including physical
disabilities such as cerebral palsy (C.P.) with severe dysarthria,
elderly people with dysphasia and people with learning
difficulties.
By identifying various usage scenarios for Internet access,
specified categories of users were identified. The primary target
population was identified as school aged children with congenital
disabilities using graphic based AAC systems, and secondly, adults
with congenital disabilities using graphic based AAC systems and
elderly people with dysphasia.
Additional groups of stakeholders who will benefit from the
symbol translation facilities and/or from the web authoring tools
developed in the WWAAC project, and whose views can inform user
requirement were identified. The following stakeholders were
therefore also identified for inclusion in the user requirements
capture: (1) software and hardware developers and distributors of
high tech AAC, (2) service providers including professional
facilitators, including service providers, therapists, teachers,
information providers, curriculum developers, family, informal
carers.
The central user requirements capture recruited 28 end users, 51
service providers and 10 manufacturers. Of the end users recruited
14 were school aged (age range 12 - 18yrs, median 17yrs), 8 were
adults with congenital disabilities (age range 21 - 42yrs median
27yrs), and 6 were older people with dysphasia (age range 40 - 75
years, median age 58 ½ yrs).
Measures
The user requirements primary method of information capture was
through the use of detailed one to one interviews and observation.
In order to capture requirements of diverse stakeholders, a range
of interview tools were developed to include end users service
providers and manufacturers.
Results
User requirements capture prioritised the work of the WWAAC
consortium:
Priority 1: Access to and use of information and services of the
World Wide Web
Priority 2: Use of email between people using the same language
(e.g. English to English, Swedish to Swedish and so on.)
Priority 3: Use of discussion fora
Priority 4: Use of email between people using the different
languages (e.g. between English and Swedish)
Priority 5: Echat
Specific issues concerning use of www included the following:
Lower priority given to email but many critical issues associated with www overlap with the development of email accessibility and usability.