US Education Department sets uniform product design for disabled 

Funds allocated to assure compliance with 1990 ADA act 

By: James Foglio
Assistant Editor, The Institute
December, 2000 - page 8

Using computers and mobile phones has become commonplace. They are also
becoming easier to use - except perhaps for persons with disabilities. To
address this issue, the U.S. Department of Education awarded a grant to the
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, USA, to create a
training and information center that will help establish uniform principles
of design and functionality for information technology (IT) and
telecommunications worklwide. The specific area of concern deals with
compliance of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 

Universal design is a process whereby environments and products are designed
to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need
for adaptation or specialized design. Currently, persons with disabilities
make up approximately 20 percent of the U.S population and 14 percent of the
overall U.S. workforce. 

Using the Universal Design Grant, Georgia Tech will create a center for U.S.
engineers to monitor regulations, standards and other current information in
their respective fields to ensure products and services comply with ADA
regulations. Moreover, it will allow those in the different arenas of
academia, government and industry to cross reference information and interact
in classes, seminars and forums, creating a broad-based infusion of knowledge
about ADA. 

Because of its history with standards development and distance learning, the
IEEE applied for the grant in partnership with several other organizations
but was not awarded the funds. Despite not being chosen, the IEEE may still
remain an integral partner in the development of this project, according to
Henry Shein, IEEE Strategic Research and Institutional Planning director, who
was involved with the grant proposal. 

"There is no central clearinghouse in this field," Shein said. "For example,
there is a need to implement a universal design of cellular phones so it is
not necessary to create special designs or adapters for those with
disabilities. Another example is with computer desktop screenreaders for
people who are visually impaired - these process words but not graphics. This
grant is looking to address these issues so there can be uniformity."  

According to Shein, Georgia Tech has approached the IEEE to do some of the
work. "This is very tentative because it will have to be a business deal. But
Georgia Tech may be interested in having the IEEE be involved with the
distance learning, conference coordination, standards or seminars procedures
of this project," said Shein. 

Shein also noted this grant could be both an important program for the IEEE
as well as being useful for the public. "This could be a way to provide an
enormous amount of technical information to our members who are involved with
technology while helping those with disabilities."