An inclusive digital economy supporting older and disabled people and other digitally disenfranchised groups

这个小组汇集了一个多学科的团队，他们在为老年人和残疾人以及其他在数字方面被剥夺权利的群体开发计算机系统以及开发确保信息技术系统可及性的方法方面有着良好的记录。该集群将调查这一领域的文献和当前的商业实践，并制定一些具体的试点研究项目/这些项目将包括与用户的焦点小组，这些小组将被用来讨论数字经济将给他们带来的挑战。还将有用户和设计师的混合焦点小组/这些小组被发现在收集需求和提高用户是老年人的认识方面特别有用。我们将进行试点研究，以发展社交网站作为鼓励老年人和残疾人参与数字经济的方法，以及多模式界面和普及技术对这一用户群体的挑战和可能性。此外，我们将研究残疾本体的发展，具体参考这些挑战在数字经济中为设计师和政策制定者提供的挑战。该网络的主要活动将以集群的公开会议为基础：具体会议将用于(a)确定研究范围，(b)与拟议的可用性集群建立联系，(c)审查该领域的国内和国际研究，(d)评估包容性对其他集群工作的影响，(e)制定计划以应对之前研讨会提出的挑战，以及(f)确定该领域的未来研究。这一系列会议的最后将是一次公开会议，会上将提出分组活动的结论。这次会议将包括一个现场戏剧活动，它将突出我们审议期间出现的重要问题。由于这个集群是交叉的，集群的成员将参加其他集群的会议，以提出这些集群内部的包容性问题，并确保包容性集群解决其他集群所强调的挑战。与拟议的可用性分组的明确联系将特别重要，如上所述，建议与该分组举行一次具体的联席会议。许多其他网络和团体正在数字包容性领域开展工作。将与这些组织建立正式的联系，并使用它们的邮件列表来宣传这个小组的工作。为了使该组的审议工作与国际研究结合起来，将鼓励该组成员参加该领域的国际会议。该集群将解决的一个主要挑战是设计师、政策制定者和其他利益相关者在数字经济中的态度变化。有重要的证据表明，传统的标准、指导方针和最佳实践在鼓励设计师和其他利益相关者真正理解和同情老年人和残疾人的特征、需求和愿望方面并不是很有效。我们将使用专业剧场、现场活动和专业制作的视频来展示老年人在使用数字系统时面临的挑战。集群成员的研究表明，这些技术是一种非常强大的方式，可以收集老年人的需求，并在教育和国际会议环境中提高设计师的意识。该小组工作的这一特定方面将扩大对这些技术使用的了解，并提高对这些技术的认识。制作的视频将为数字技术设计师和数字经济中的其他利益相关者提供持久和永久的教育工具，并为未来使用这些强大的教育技术提供指导。

This cluster brings together a multi-disciplinary team with track records in developing computer systems for older and disabled people, and other digitally disenfranchised groups, and in developing methods to ensure the accessibility of I.T. systems. The cluster will survey both the literature and the current commercial practice in this area, and institute a number of specific pilot research projects / these will include focus groups with users which will be used to discuss the challenges which a digital economy will present to them. There will also be mixed focus groups of users and designers / these have been found to be particularly useful in requirements gathering and awareness raising where users are older people. We will be conducting pilot research into the development of social networking sites as methods for encouraging older and disabled people to be part of the Digital Economy, and the challenges and the possibilities of multi-modal interfaces and pervasive technology for this group of users. In addition we will be investigating the development of an ontology of disabilities with specific reference to the challenges these provide to designers and policy makers within the digital economy.The major activities of the network will be based on open meetings of the cluster: specific meetings will be used to (a) scope the research, (b) develop links with the proposed Usability Cluster, (c) review the national and international research in the field, (d) assess the impact of inclusivity on the work of the other clusters, (e) develop plans to respond to the challenges raised in the previous workshops, and (f) determine future research in this area. The series of meetings will culminate in an open public meeting which will present the conclusions of the clusters activities. This conference will include a live theatre event which will highlight the important issues which have emerged during our deliberations.As this cluster is cross cutting, members of the cluster will attend meetings of the other clusters, both to raise the issue of inclusivity within those clusters and to ensure that inclusive cluster addresses the challenges highlighted by these other clusters. Clearly links with the proposed usability cluster will be particularly important and, as indicated above, a specific joint meeting is proposed with this cluster.A number of other networks and groups of people are working in the field of digital inclusivity. Formal links will be made with these organisations, and their mailing lists used to publicise the work of this cluster. In order to set the deliberations of the cluster in context with international research, members of the cluster will be encouraged to attend international conferences in the field. A major challenge the cluster will address is changing attitudes of designers, policy makers and other stakeholders in the Digital Economy. There is significant evidence that traditional standards and guidelines and best practice are not very effective as a way of encouraging designers and other stakeholders to really understand and be empathetic to the characteristics, needs and wants of older and disabled people. We will use professional theatre, both live events and professionally produced videos to present the challenges older people have in using digital systems. Research by members of the cluster has shown that these techniques are a very powerful way of requirements gathering with older people and of raising awareness amongst designers both in an educational and international conference settings. This particular aspect of the work of the cluster will expand the knowledge of the use, and the increase awareness, of these techniques. The videos produced will provide a lasting and permanent educational tool for digital technology designers, and other stakeholders in the Digital Economy, as well as provide pointers to future use of these powerful educational techniques.