[aaloa supporters] FYI - Fwd: [aaloa info] eAccessibility2020 Study 1st Newsletter
Francesco Furfari
francesco.furfari at isti.cnr.it
Fri Jul 15 16:37:22 CEST 2011
FYI
regards,
Francesco
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [aaloa info] eAccessibility2020 Study 1st Newsletter
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:19:45 +0300
From: e-Accessibility2020 Study <noreply at altec.gr>
To: info at aaloa.org
e-Accessibility
/eAccessibility2020 Newsletter 1/*//*
July
2011
Newsletter 1
1. Editorial <#s1>
2. A few words about the Study <#s2>
3. Our Actual Achievements <#s3>
4. What will follow <#s4>
5. How can you contribute? <#s5>
6. Our Collaborations <#s6>
Other News
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The eAccessibility2020 newsletter is published by the eAccessibility2020
study. The newsletter provides you with information and insights on the
future of eAccessibility research at European and global level. You can
read it to stay up-to-date with the EC-funded exploratory work on
setting the future eAccessibility research agenda. Moreover, through the
newsletter you can find how to participate in the activities of
eAccessibility2020 study and help shaping future research priorities.
1. Editorial
As part of our effort to support the work in our study, we approached
about 150 individual project participants from about 45 projects to get
their views regarding the potential implications from future ICT Trends
on Assistive Technology and Accessibility. We worked for the production
of tailor-made questions for each of the projects and tried to assess
the contributions and inputs that each project could make to our study.
Furthermore, the idea was to hold interviews with as many people as
possible. Questions amongst others included:
* Are guidelines the solution? What about objectivity in checking
guidelines conformance? Are legal measurements a proper and
effective motivation?
* Adaptive multimodal interfaces, ad-hoc solutions or a mix of them?
How important is the users' viewpoint?
* Legislation or motivation through other channels? What do you
think will be the main direction in 2020?
* Do you think the ageing needs will change until 2020? How are
these changes related with changes in trends in the society,
lifestyles, economy, culture?
* Do you think accessibility will be embedded in the design process
of products and services in 2020?
* Do you think Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) devices will be as
easy to use as other current input devices in 2020? What advances
do you see more possible to happen in the near future in BCI?
* Do you see Design-for-All (D4A) as the main approach in
accessibility solutions in 2020? Accessibility in desktop, web or
mobile applications will be more crucial until 2020? Which is
easier to achieve through D4A?
* What technologies do you think will be the most influential in
accessibility in the future years? Do you see accessibility being
enhanced in the design process or though ad-hoc solutions? Will
the needs of aged people change in the future?
* Do you think ad-hoc solutions will prevail in the future against
D4A products? What advances in sensors and other technologies do
you expect do be more influential?
The above is only one very small part of the questions we developed. And
from the multitude of answers we received it confirmed our belief that
in research the most important thing is not to give the answers but to
be able to put the right questions. Many projects start working and
giving solutions that are no-help at all simply because they failed in
looking deeper to the real questions underneath the surface.
In the current period of the study we run an online questionnaire - you
can find more on this on our Website http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu.
We also encourage you to connect with us and share your views and
opinions with our community.
/by Adamantios Koumpis and Dimitris Papageorgiou /
2. A few words about the study
The eAccessibility2020 study will provide the European Commission (EC)
with recommendations on future eAccessibility-related research policy,
especially concerning the Common Strategic Framework for research and
innovation including the next Competitiveness & Innovation Programme (CIP).
Also, the study will make suggestions on relevant standardisation issues
and on EC policy activities for the wider mainstreaming and adoption of
eAccessibility. To do so the study team will elaborate and validate
specific use and technology-scenarios for 2020. These scenarios will
result from vigorous interaction with eAccessibility-related
stakeholders and experts, which will involve among other the
identification and assessment of 'Drivers of Change' affecting the
course of eAccessibility (i.e. key-trends, micro-trends and weak-signals).
The study approach adopts a variety of methodologies, tools and
activities and it is presented at www.e-accessibility2020.eu
<http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu> together with news, e-surveys and
eventually the study results. The study (officially titled: "Study on
Implications from Future ICT Trends on Assistive Technology and
Accessibility", SMART 2010/0077) is conducted by ALTEC Software
Development, Greece in partnership with CKA, Belgium for the EC, DG
Information Society and Media, Unit 'ICT for Inclusion'.
go to top <#top>
3. Our Actual Achievements
1. RTD and Innovation Projects analysis
The selection and analysis of RTD and Innovation projects has focused on
eAccessibility-related EC-funded projects under FP6, FP7 and CIP-PSP.
The process included:
* A 3-step selection process for the filtering of project-related
information and the selection of 137 out of the initial 266 projects
* Initial analysis revealed that: (i) web-accessibility is the
dominant technological area that projects dealt with (41
projects), while sensors technologies followed (19 projects), (ii)
a large proportion of projects addressed disabilities rather
horizontally (instead of targeting specific disabilities, although
movement and mental disabilities were generally more prominent),
(iii) while end users (i.e. people with disabilities, patients,
elderly persons) are claimed to be the main beneficiaries,
surprisingly researchers and scientists are mentioned as
beneficiaries more often than industry or policy making alone,
(iv) in terms of needs, a large part of the projects have targeted
daily living issues, including ICT communication, access and
adoption.
go to top <#top>
2. Interviews
Out of the 137 projects initially selected we have chosen 46 to contact
and sent 150 personalized emails to experts to participate in our study
interviews. Almost 30 interviews were scheduled and around 25 are
already completed. Having completed most of the interviews, there are
some preliminary results from experts opinions on a variety of subjects
related to accessibility. First of all, regarding accessibility
guidelines, many of the experts suggest that it is a necessary and
valuable tool for developers but there are some problems that need
addressing. Most of the experts identify as the biggest problem the
persuasion of businesses and industry in general to invest and follow
accessibility. Another need identified in some interviews is this of
education and training of developers about accessibility. There were
also discussions and concerns on how accessibility checking and
evaluation can become more objective eliminating margins of
interpretations on various guidelines. Moreover, interviewees also
expressed concerns on having some kind of authority/ies to evaluate
accessibility and how effective and helpful is the way of persuasion
through legislation. An approach suggested by some interviewees was to
move accessibility issues within the development of new standards and
deal with them in a deeper level in the production process.
From the technologies point of view that majority of interviewees
agrees that what is needed is a combined approach of making new devices
and technologies as accessible as possible (design for all principle),
trying on the same time to make assistive technologies mainstream so
that their cost will not pose problems for their use. In that direction,
many of the interviewees expressed their hope that personalization
technologies and solutions will eventually help in the direction of
accessibility too. In addition, sensor technologies which help the
devices to understand their context of use and provide additional ways
of interaction are also referred by many of the interviewees as
promising technologies. Finally, speech related technologies such as
speech recognition, text-to-speech, and not for language processing are
also pointed out as helpful technologies for the future of accessibility.
go to top <#top>
3. Esp at cenet Patent Analysis
In addition, we have carried out a basic analysis of
eAccessibility-related patent applications. For this reason we used the
European Patent Office (EPO) Esp at cenet patent search engine, which looks
at a number of countries (more than 80) where patent applicants come
from. Its results include EU-registered patents (which can also be
registered elsewhere, e.g. in the US) We found 66 relevant
(eAccessibility and Assistive Technology) Patents between 1999 and 2011.
Some preliminary results regarding the background of patent applicants
are as follows:
* The vast majority of applications from companies are from the US,
and in particular from IBM. Those are followed by companies from
the Asia Pacific region, and there is only a very small number of
companies from the EU.
* The same hold for Universities, Educational Institutions and
Hospitals, as well as for applications from individuals, where
again the US holds the majority of patent applications.
* The results therefore point to the need for the EU to establish
appropriate measures and initiatives to encourage
eAccessibility-related patent applications that can challenge the
US dominance.
In addition, although for a large number of patents it was not clear
from the abstract which particular disabilities they wanted to target,
we have found that a large number of patents were targeted towards
people with visual impairments, with a smaller number targeted towards
auditory impairments. With regards to the subjects areas of the patents,
those were mainly concerned with Web accessibility and Assistive
Technology Use / Configuration, and to a lesser degree with mobile
accessibility. Providing Accessibility Diagnostics, Specialised User
Interfaces and Screen Readers for the visually-impaired also formed a
complementary area for the topics that the patents examined.
Initial Trends Analysis Following a broad desk research the
eAccessibility2020 team has collected valuable info/data related to
eAccessibility 'Drivers of Change', which can be:
* *Key-trends: *phenomena currently affecting eAccessibility that
are clearly identifiable, have an established momentum and are
likely to persist for many years to come.
* *Micro-trends:* smaller in scale than key-trends and may not be
easily identified as their impact on eAccessibility is (presently)
minor or invisible.
* *Weak-signals:* everything else that constitutes evidence about
the future affecting eAccessibility. They may be single events,
research results, achievements, demonstrations of new ideas, etc.
They point to windows of opportunity or bare possibility.
These drivers are categorised into: (i) ICT & Innovation Drivers, (ii)
Societal Drivers and (iii) eAccessibility Technology & Market Drivers.
In the group of ICT key-trends we have categorised some major
developments such as the mobile broadband technologies and applications,
cloud computing, device connectivity (the internet of things), etc.
Relevant micro-trends may include user generated services and user
controlled infrastructure, while possible weak-signals are
companion-robots, avatars as extensions of human selves. Similarly, key
societal trends include mega-trends like the ageing population and
independent living, as well as other important trends such as pervasive
and ubiquitous health services. Examples of micro-trends in this
category are: improving prevention and patient outcomes, the growing
prevalence of "mild" dysfunctions, etc. Weak-signals are still to be
identified by the study team. The last category of eAccessibility
Technology & Mar ket Drivers is characterised by drivers such as the
integration of accessibility requirements in existing ICT standards, the
development eAccessibility testing & assessment tools, the increased
pressure for web-accessible public websites, etc. The eAccessibility2020
team is currently working on the above to finalise the 1st version of
the Trends Analysis. Further information will be published by September
2011.
go to top <#top>
4. Brainstorming scenarios
The eAccessibility2020 team has brainstormed on a set of high-level
scenarios, visions and technology-related situations for eAccessibility
in 2020. In the basis of this work lie three principles: (a)
desirability (the future reflects the user needs and policy priorities),
(b) feasibility (the foresight exercise should take into account the
technology and socio-economic perspective to ensure that envisioned
scenarios/ situations are achievable), and (c) timeliness (the
time-scope of the study is 2020, while 2025 may also be considered as
research results need time to reach the market). High-level Scenarios
include the following scenarios: (i) Technology-driven, (ii)
Disability-driven and (iii) User-group-focused. In parallel, visions for
eAccessibility perceive eAccessibility as a high value-added 'quality'
creating benefits for all, acknowledge the universal appreciation that
capabilities decline with age for all people and adopt ambitious targets
such as making content and ICT tools/ applications accessible for all.
Finally, we envisage a set of technology-enabled situations such as
dialog interfaces close to human-to-human interaction, automatic
real-time transcripts, hands free interaction using only our eyes and
brain, automatic adaptation of multimodal interfaces according to users'
needs, etc.
go to top <#top>
5. 1st Workshop results
Our first workshop has been integrated as a distinct session in the
2-day workshop on eAccessibility and Assistive Technology that the EC
unit 'ICT for Inclusion' of the DG INFSO hosted in Brussels on the
20th-21st of June 2011. The around 35 participants included EC
officials, stakeholders from Member States, organisations/associations
and experts in the field of eAccessibility and Assistive Technology. The
workshop was based on the results of three studies:
* Monitoring e-Accessibility in Europe;
* Study on the Internal Market for Assistive ICT;
* Study on economic assessment for improving eAccessibility services
and products.
And the presentation of our:
* eAccessibility2020 study (Implications from Future ICT Trends on
Assistive Technology and Accessibility).
The event was an opportunity to discuss the present state of the play
and to explore alternative paths for the future of eAccessibility and
provision of Assistive Technology (assistive ICT) at European level and
globally, recognise possible measures and indicators about cost and
benefits linked to eAccessibility, and examine relevant future EC
research priorities.
The presentation of the eAccessibility2020 study generated lively
interaction and constructive discussion not only between the speakers
and the participants in the workshop, but also between the participants
themselves.
* A number of suggestions for improvements in the data gathering
methodology and initial analysis have been collected. The study
team will consider them in an attempt to further enrich its
groundwork and refine its initial results.
* A pool of ideas and opinions about the future of eAccessibility
has been collected. Inputs by the participants have covered a
variety of issues ranging from the use of the terms eAccessibility
and disability, to ICT and societal trends, as well as to future
visions of eAccessibility.
Several participants expressed their interest for collaboration with the
study team and further communication is scheduled (e.g. interviews and
discussions on exploiting potential synergies).
Further information can be found here
<http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1445&Itemid=857>
go to top <#top>
4. What will follow?
/Analysis of the 1st survey results: /Based on the analysis and
synthesis of the web-questionnaires we expect to (a) propose a fresh
insight on what eAccessibility will mean in 10-15 years time, (b) better
understand the future user needs and (c) identify which trends/
developments at ICT, societal, eAccessibility technology & market level,
are more important when looking at the future of eAccessibility. You can
still participate in our 1st survey by fill in this web-questionnaire.
/A 2nd survey to follow:/ This survey will practically be a validation
exercise where we would collect the feedback from eAccessibility experts
and stakeholders on the importance and impact of the various 'Drivers of
Change' (key-trends, micro-trends, weak-signals) for the future of
eAccessibility.
/Use-Scenarios:/ We will further formulate and detail the existing broad
and draft scenarios/ visions for the future of eAccessibility. Our
starting point will be the results of the impact assessment of the
"Drivers of Change' and the expected future user needs. As soon as the
various use-scenarios will be formulated (a consultation will also take
place) we will explore the alternative technology paths that are needed
(technology-scenarios) to make the respective use-scenarios real.
go to top <#top>
5. How can you contribute?
/ Suggest eAccessibility-related projects : /
You can check our list of the 94 selected (EU-funded) projects
<http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1299:a-web-repository-of-eaccessibility-related-information-and-data-&catid=112:frontpage-tabs>relevant
to eAccessibility and let us know about any other relevant RTD &
Innovation project or initiative you may know. Your suggestions may
cover projects and initiatives at international, European, national or
corporate level.
/Offer your input to our survey:/
Our 1st survey is available on-line
<http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/555353/eAccessibility2020-Study-Questionnaire>
and has a triple purpose: (1) To explore potential evolution of the
content/ meaning of eAccessibility and related-terms; (2) To identify
and assess future user needs and (3) To identify and initially assess
trends that may affect the future of eAccessibility. You can complete
the web-questionnaire here
<http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/555353/eAccessibility2020-Study-Questionnaire>
and be among the first to receive the results of the survey.
/Give your feedback on our brainstorming (future scenarios for
eAccessibility): /
You can share with us your opinion on the brainstorming for future
eAccessibility scenarios here
<http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu/portal/index.php?option=com_jquarks4s&controller=survey&id=2&Itemid=827>.
You may choose to simply evaluate our initial thoughts, submit your
comments and/or even suggest your own vision for the desirable future of
eAccessibility. Take this opportunity!
/Contact us: /
You can send us your contact details by filling in this form
<http://www.e-accessibility2020.eu/portal/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=755>
and let us know what it is of interest for you. We may send you: (a)
invitations to participate in upcoming consultations on the future of
eAccessibility and web-surveys on evaluating our results, (b)
notifications on as soon as new results are available, (c) invitations
to other events we (co-)organise, etc.
go to top <#top>
6. Our collaborations
/With other relevant EC studies:/
Our study participated in a two-day workshop on eAccessibility and
Assistive Technology organised by DG Information Society and Media of
the European Commission. The workshop took place in Brussels, on Monday
and Tuesday June 20th and 21st, 2011 and more than 40 participants have
attended among which European Commission officials, stakeholders from
Member States, organisations/associations and experts in the field of
eAccessibility and Assistive Technology. Together with the presentation
of our recently launched study on the "Implications from Future ICT
Trends on Assistive Technology and Accessibility", the workshop was
based on the results of three other studies:
* "Monitoring e-Accessibility in Europe 2010-2011"
(http://www.eaccessibility-monitoring.eu/)
* Study on the Internal Market for Assistive ICT
* Study on economic assessment for improving eAccessibility services
and products (http://www.eaccessibility-impacts.eu/)
The event was an opportunity to discuss the present state of the play
and to explore alternative paths for the future of eAccessibility and
provision of Assistive Technology at European level and globally,
recognise possible measures and indicators about cost and benefits
linked to eAccessibility, and examine relevant future EC research
priorities.
/With relevant EC-funded initiatives:/
Our study participated in the 2nd workshop of the CARDIAC project
(www.cardiac-eu.org) in San Sebastian Spain, on 28-29 June 2011. The
workshop had the form of an extended 2-day collaborative session around
the triggering question of "What type of research is missing that could
facilitate development of inclusive HCI?" and was a unique opportunity
to shape the thinking and direction of future research funding by the
European Commission in this area by means of gathering input from a
diverse range of stakeholders.
/Involvement with & participation in communities: /
Blogging at e-Practice ... www.ePractice.eu provides its members with a
blog in which all registered users can post opinions, questions and
links to news related to eGovernment, eInclusion and eHealth. The
experts of our study are already blogging and sharing their experiences
from the conduct of the study with the members of the e-Practice
communities such as the 'eAccessibility practice, policy, monitoring and
impact' community.
/Synergies: /
Is your work relevant to the eAccessibility future? Then we probably
have a common interest. Share with us your thoughts and needs, we can
find a way to mutually benefit. Our study team is open to any interested
party. Just send an email to info at e-accessibility2020.eu, and we will
come back to you!
/e-Accessibility2020 in ASSETS2011! /
Our study participates with a poster and demonstration in the 13th
International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility to
be held in Dundee Scotland on 24-26 October 2011. The ASSETS conference
explores the use of computing and information technologies to help
persons with disabilities and older adults. ASSETS is the premier forum
for presenting innovative research on the design and use of both
mainstream and specialized assistive technologies. More information
about ASSETS here <http://www.sigaccess.org/assets11/index.html>
/Accessible Design in the DigitalWorld Workshop: the challenges are here
to grasp!/
Our study participates with a paper presentation in the Accessible
Design in the Digital World Workshop 2011 held as part of the INTERACT
2011 13th IFIP TC13 Conference on Human-Computer Interaction organized
in Lisbon, Portugal on 5th of September 2011.
Target audience of the workshop are all researchers and practitioners
concerned with accessibility of digital products and systems, including
Web designers and developers, mobile application developers, assistive
technology researchers and developers, and accessibility evaluation
researchers and practitioners.
More information about the workshop at:http://www.addw2011.org/
<http://www.addw2011.org/>
go to top <#top>
The study is funded by the European Commission, DG Information Society
and Media, ICT addressing societal challenges, ICT for Inclusion (SMART
2010/0077), however, the views presented here are those of the authors
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.
Don't want to receive these emails anymore? You can unsubscribe
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