Enabled by Design meets

Scripting Enabled:

Technology + Good Design

=

Scripting Enabled

Hello my name’s Denise

How do you think I managed to end up on crutches?

a). Skiing injury

b). Fell off while dancing on a table

c). I have Relapsing and Remitting MS

d). All of the above – only kidding ; )

The answer is c):

MS is a neurological condition that is unpredictable, variable and different

in every case.

So what sort of barriers does this cause?

One of my main symptoms is extreme fatigue….

http://bp2.blogger.com/_Tmz1g7GtJbg/RwHRUfxWVpI/AAAAAAAAAoo/le6dYrfVmKw/s1600-h/yawn.jpg

Sometimes my eyes go a bit funny….

and I’m only one of many who has a visual impairment….

http://www.weatherby.info/shazam/generalrubbish/PirateDog.jpg

This can include:Blurred Vision

http://www.innovativevision.co.uk/images/1_ottotipo_blur.jpg

Double Vision

http://k43.pbase.com/o4/93/130493/1/55554445.DSC07648.jpg

Colour Distortion

http://wfc3.gsfc.nasa.gov/MARCONI/images-basic/spectrum.jpg

But it’s not always my eyesight that’s affected, sometimes I feel like I’m wearing Mickey Mouse gloves….

http://www.laughingplacestore.com/images/products/6369L.jpg

Sometimes I’m in a wibbly wobbly world of my own….

http://www.penguin.com.au/covers-jpg/9781846462740.jpg

This means that typing, selecting from drop down menus and clicking on icons

can be a bit of a nightmare!

Thus isn;t as esay as it looks1

Sometimes my hearing seems muffled….

http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Caution-Excessive-Sound-Levels-Posters_i410923_.htm

And sometimes I suffer from….

http://www.posterwire.com/wp-content/images/vertigo.jpg

This can make life pretty unpredictable, but one thing is for certain….

Everyday will be different to the next!

And my needs will change from day to day.

But everyone has different needs and abilities, so how do you meet

everyone’s requirements at the same time….

This isn’t strictly possible but one approach is:

UNIVERSAL DESIGN

Universal Design according to my heroes at OXO:

• Universal Design means the design of products usable by as many people as possible

• The concept of Universal Design makes room for all users by taking as many needs as possible into consideration in the design process

• It’s important to note that Universal Design does not mean designing products fully usable by everybody, since there is no product that can truly fulfil the needs of all users

Example of how OXoO uses Universal Design to make people’s

lives easier….

OXO Good Grips Swivel Peeler

• Ergonomic design • Pressure absorbing handle for comfort• Fatter handle for ease of grip• Non-slip rubber grip for added safety

This sort of inclusive design means thattheir products are accessible to a much wider audience.

http://oxo.com/oxo/peel.html

So why not apply this approach to online systems?

The good news is, that’s exactly why you’re here

today!

What is Enabled by Design?

www.enabledbydesign.org

Enabled by Design is developing an online community that will support anyone looking to make adjustments to their lives through the use of assistive equipment, be it as a result of disability, injury or personal identified need. We aim to make independent living more accessible through the use of clever modern design.

We want to practice what we preach and it’s extremely

important that our website will reflect this….

And that’s why we’re so excited about Scripting Enabled!

One last thing before you go….

“Usability rules the web” –

Jakob Nielsen

(IT expert, writer and advisor on software and web design)

Usability – The Golden Rules

• Simply presented information• Content reduced to essentials• Manageable logical structure• Intuitive usability• Uniform appearance, consistently designed• Good design and appealing graphics• Quick delivery of information

Taken from ‘The Little Know It All – Common sense for designers’ – Die Gestalten Verlag ISBN: 978-3-89955-167-9 –

it has a nice chapter on Digital Media including a section on Web Design

Any questions?

Thank you for listening!

You can contact me here:

denise@enabledbydesign.org

@dizzel or @enabledby