Universal Usability: Past, Present, and Future (Foundations and Trends

Universal Past, Present, and Future surveys the state-of-the-art of human-computer interaction research into the design and development of interfaces that will be easy to use for users of all levels of technical experience ability. Computers are integrated into our daily lives in many ways. Users with all levels of training and education, users with disabilities, the very young and the very mature are using computers for many different tasks. This diversity makes it challenging for information and communication system designers to provide systems which will be easy to use by all, everywhere. Universal usability addresses this challenge and its goal is to design systems which enable the largest possible group of users to successfully use information and communication technology. Universal Past, Present, and Future looks at the progress that has been made towards this goal. It outlines the innovations in techniques for gathering and understanding requirements, designing and developing interfaces, evaluation and assessment, development and use of standards, and public policy. It is an invaluable reference for computer scientists or designers researching or designing information and communication systems that support universal user flexibility, user control, system transparency, availability and accessibility.