Evaluating accessibility and usability of an experimental situational awareness room

Abstract

New advanced emergency management facilities such as a control room which is equipped with advanced ICT technologies should consider universal design principles and ensure the accessibility and usability of some important technical functions available in the room. This paper aims at evaluating the accessibility and usability of an experimental control room. This room has a flexible architecture, i.e., the information displays are interchangeable through drag-drop system on a control-panel. We used a complementary heuristic and user testing approach. A video analysis, open questionnaire and discussion with testers were applied to detect technology usage barriers. The results show that the proprietary control tablet and its setup has some room for improvement. Our approach can examine the sources of difficulties of our testers, especially on linking the information sources, machines and wall or desk displays. Several recommendations are outlined to be a basis for developing guidelines for future usage of this room.