We are all blind: Cognetics and the designing of interfaces for accessibility: Introduction to the special thematic session

Abstract

Today's GUIs and their familiar methods are far from optimal for typical users, wasting time, causing unnecessary errors, exacerbating repetitive stress injuries, and inducing frustration and annoyance. These problems are often amplified when standard interface methods are used in systems for lessabled users. We must not be distracted from good interface design by the straitjackets of present paradigms. To this end we employ insight, ingenuity, and testing - but they are not enough. Cognetic tools, which are quantitative and objective instead of being based on heuristics and subjective judgment, can play an important role in increasing accessibility, even where we use existing hardware. © Springer-Verlag 2004.