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- Johansson, Stefan, 1963-
(författare)
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Design for Participation and Inclusion will Follow : Disabled People and the Digital Society
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Digitalization is rapidly taking over all aspects of society, but still there are parts of the population who have to struggle for access to, and to be able to use, the digital resources. Design processes and outcomes in the form of artefacts, that takes accessibility into account, is key to participation. This gives the designer a central role in providing for a more equal participation of all, in the digital society. The work in this thesis contributes to a better understanding of the prerequisites for participation in the digital society, and in the design processes to accomplish this, by presenting research done together with three communities: people with cognitive impairments, people with mental health issues and homeless people.The overall question has been How can participation in the digital society be understood? We have investigated the nature of difficulties or enabling factors for people with impairments, people with mental health issues and homeless people, when using the internet. We have also investigated possible digital divides within the groups, and how they can be explained.Ontologically, the work is based on an assumption that knowledge is to be found in a dialectic interplay between the material world and how we interpret what is going on in this world. The underlying epistemological assumption is that data has to be empiric, and critically interpreted in dialogue between members of the communities, which are being researched, and other stakeholders. This work draws on the idea of emancipation and that research can be liberating.The work also takes on a pragmatic stance. We have used adapted versions of Emancipatory Participatory Research, and of Participatory and Value Sensitive Design, thus making them accessible to people with cognitive impairments, people with mental health issues or homeless people. We have tested and adapted methods for sampling of rare populations, to enhance the quality of quantitative studies of how people with impairments and people with mental health issues have access to, and are using, the internet.In our research, we have found fourteen prerequisites, all of which need to be in place to provide for participation. To promote participation, we need a toolbox of methods and accessible tools. Finally, to analyse what is going on we need an analytical model which allows for analysis on multiple levels and from multiple perspectives.As a result, I here propose, define and position a framework for researching and understanding participation in the digital society, based on three parts: Guidelines, Ethics and Statistics. Guidelines can be understood as the theories, the regulations, the standards, etc. that inform our thinking. Ethics guide us in the right direction. Statistics make progress or lack of progress visible.The conclusion is: if we plan for participation - by improved statistic survey sampling methods, a participatory approach to collaborative research and in using research methods in an accessible and emancipatory way – inclusion will follow.
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| 2. |
- Cajander, Åsa, 1971-
(författare)
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Usability – Who Cares? : The Introduction of User-Centred Systems Design in Organisations
- 2010
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis analyses the difficulties encountered in the promotion of usability, especially in relation to occupation health issues, when developing IT systems in a public authority. It examines what happens when User-Centred Systems Design (UCSD) approaches are introduced to organisations with in-house systems development for their employees. It studies how stakeholder values affect the outcomes in terms of usability, occupational health, and institutional acceptance. Moreover, new methods are examined and evaluated as potential tools for assisting the adoption of UCSD. These methods are for example Field studies for system developers, Usability coaching for stakeholders and Management views of usability.A stated aim is to influence systems development in practice. Hence an action research paradigm has been employed, carrying out research and change in real life settings, gathering and analysing data using qualitative techniques.This thesis is based on a constructivist perspective, where theories in the areas of learning and organisational change have been used in order to better understand the research questions.The research demonstrates that most people are enthusiastic to, and interested in, UCSD with a focus on the computerised work environment. Many of the stakeholder groups, such as managers, users, project managers and system developers, changed their construct of identity as well as practice when UCSD was introduced.However, this research shows that there are several values that affect systems development and hinder usability work. These include for example value of rationality and objectivity, and differing values and perspectives underpinning descriptions and discourse on work and systems development. Values such as automation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction shape the development of new technology, and ultimately the tasks, work practices integrated in IT systems.Moreover, the results demonstrate that even though many consider usability as important, few take active responsibility for it, as the title of this thesis suggests.
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| 3. |
- Anderberg, Peter
(författare)
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FACE : Disabled People, Technology and Internet
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on the Internet experiences of people withsignificant mobility/physical impairments who are proficient andexperienced computer users in their computer world but havelimitations in mobility that severely restrict their functioning inthe physical world. The Internet functioning of this group isanalysed by means of the factors attitude, control and enabling,with the main focus on what is achievable when all accessproblems such as unadapted interfaces, beginners’ difficulties andthe digital divide are overcome. If the virtual world is fullyavailable but the real world is not – what are the effects onlearning, self image, communities of practice, sense of coherence,power and control? What are the effects on peer-to-peer learningand co-operation? Independent living concepts and theoriesmanifest themselves throughout the thesis, most obviously,perhaps, in the selection of issues that are studied and in theperspectives.The theoretical background and concepts are those of disabilitystudies, with a social model and independent living perspective,and with strong influences from rehabilitation engineering anddesign.Throughout the thesis elaborations and clarifications of thepossibilities of interplay and co-existence between rehabilitationengineering and design and disability studies are made. Differentaspects of function design and technology are examined from anexpanded view on functioning, where technology is put in anindividual and social context with the FACE (Function – Attitude, Control, Enabling) tool.
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| 4. |
- Hedvall, Per-Olof
(författare)
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Situerad design för alla : till improvisationens lov
- 2007
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Visionen Design för Alla kan berikas genom att inriktningen på genomtänkta statiska lösningar kompletteras med ett design-för-alla-tänkande också för det dynamiska och situationsbundna. Själva görandet i stunden öppnar för nya möjligheter genom att handlingspotentialen och därmed även tillgängligheten bestäms i själva aktiviteten.Beskrivning och makt är nära förknippade med varandra, och en beskrivningsförskjutning ger följaktligen också en maktförskjutning. I detta fall sker förändringen åt den berörda människans håll och mot hennes möjligheter att improvisera och handla i nuet snarare än att vara tilldelad en färdig förutbestämd ”lösning”.Uppsatsen baseras främst på arbete med datorspels-tillgänglighet i Spelhålan och med interaktiva upplevelsemiljöer i iFields. Den utgår praktiskt och teoretiskt från människan som en aktiv, kreativ och meningssökande varelse. ”Människan” ses genomgående i uppsatsen som människan med sin teknik. Som aktiv, kreativ och meningssökande kan hon dra fördel av en design inriktad inte bara på lösningar för alla utan också på rik handlingspotential. Med det förändrade synsättet blir tillgänglighet inte främst en utifrån fördefinierad egenskap utan en inifrån och i stunden egenupplevd. Den mest tillgängliga tekniken är den anpassningsvänliga och följsamma som kan kröka sig efter människan och erbjuda henne improvisationsmöjligheter och flow.I den nisch av Design för Alla som denna uppsats lyfter fram är en uppdelning i människor med och utan funktionshinder knappast meningsfull. Det avgörande är vad människan kan och vill göra av det ”mellan” som finns mellan henne och omvärlden i själva situationen. Där brukar ”lika möjligheter” inte vara det samma som ”samma möjligheter”. Insatserna i Spelhålan syftade till att tillgängliggöra ett redan befintligt ”mellan”: det i vanliga kommersiella datorspel. Genom att tillföra ett stort antal styrlösningar ökade möjligheterna för nya målgrupper att delta i denna del av ungdomskulturen. Syftet med iFields är att skapa nya ”mellan” där familjer som har barn med funktionshinder kan mötas under andra betingelser än dem som råder i vardagen. I den icke-fysiska världen kan det vara lättare än i den fysiska att bygga på individuell handlingspotential, men överspridningseffekterna till den verkliga världen kan också vara betydande.Beskrivningsförskjutningen har dynamiska effekter, inte bara på tekniksidan (där en aktiv teknik får en annan och starkare ställning) utan också på människosidan. En människa som vänjer sig vid att det i stunden finns möjligheter inom räckhåll och att hon klarar sig med hjälp av dessa präglas av sina erfarenheter till att också få andra förväntningar på att klara sig nästa gång. Förväntningarna gäller både henne själv och hennes mänskliga och tekniska omvärld.
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