ICT services for every citizen: The challenge of gaps in user knowledge

Abstract

Many services in our society are digitalized. Being able to access and use information and communication products and services (ICTs) has become a prerequisite for independent living and to fully be able to take part in society. Therefore, ICTs should be designed in such a way that they are usable and accessible to all citizens. Experiences and results from four case studies involving diverse user groups are discussed in this paper. The focuses of the studies were usability and accessibility of ICTs intended to be used by "anyone." When looking across user interaction observations of these mainstream ICTs, the challenge of gaps in user knowledge were striking. The challenge of defining a basic level of usable and accessible ICT features is also discussed. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.