Objective
The developments of the information society offer enormous potential to citizens, including older or disabled people. Unfortunately, many people are in danger of being excluded from many of the advances if we do not ensure that innovative products and services are designed to be usable by everyone. Accessibility will be a key element to make the information society a society for every European citizen. It is also a critical concept in guaranteeing industry comprehensive markets for their products and services. While within research context and the 5th Framework the concept of Design-for-All or Universal Access is well positioned, there is a dramatic lack of awareness and knowledge about it among key stakeholders such as developers, procurers and marketing staff. DASDA will actively increase this awareness and knowledge among European industry and procurers through a set of multimedia-products.
DESCRIPTION OF WORK
The DASDA project's main approach is to increase awareness and knowledge about Design-for-All among the key stakeholders. We currently identify developers, procurers and marketing staff as the main actors to take up Design-for-All within European industry and policy. Although they are only intermediaries compared to the end-users of final products/services, they play a major role in implementing Design-for-All. Unfortunately, they are also the main actors lacking awareness and knowledge. DASDA will increase the awareness and knowledge through production and dissemination of a set of multimedia based products, ranging from short awareness-focused products to full courseware. These will be available through Internet but also be distributed pro-actively through the standard information and training channels of the identified stakeholders. The baseline content for DASDA will be drawn from the relevant IST projects in addition to building on the achievements of general research into Design-for-all. Content will be based on best industry practice as well as end-user profiles. The function of these products is to raise interest, increase awareness, and provide baseline information and act as gateway to more substantial information sources. To that end, DASDA will continuously monitor the progress of relevant IST projects to include their results as they become available. DASDA equally draws on the consortium partners' experience in previous 4th Framework activities. The project will follow the life cycle of any research and technological development (RTD) project: user requirements will be defined through stakeholder analyses and critical assessment of the information infrastructures, functional specifications will identify and put into action opportunities for raising awareness and for training. Both activities will lead to an iteration of building of a multimedia toolkit. This is the basis for an active dissemination task targeting European industry and European procurers through their professional organisations and communication channels.
MILESTONES
While each work package will have intermediate and final deliverables, the results of DASDA will be found in the multimedia products and their dissemination to the identified stakeholders. Some products will focus on increasing awareness and familiarity with Design-for-All, others will provide full courseware and target the training and education infrastructure of the identified stakeholders. Each product will provide more comprehensive information and strengthen the case of Design-for-All.
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
ACM - Preparatory, accompanying and support measuresCoordinator
5600 AH EINDHOVEN
Netherlands