Design for All in Information Technology: A Universal Concern

The concept of Design for All is not well understood, and the issues of accessibility and inclusion are often relegated to specialists and dedicated conferences. This paper introduces the concept of Design for All dispelling some of the misunderstandings that surround it, and situating it within the Information Technology context, as distinct from wider considerations such accessibility in the built environment. Some of the reasons for undertaking Design for All are discussed, and, making use of the analogy of the printed book, the paper then shows how Design for All in combination with Information technologies are enablers in the widest sense of the term. Finally, it is noted that Design for All is a process, not a product, and while there are people who specialise in eAccessibility, the research agenda demands more involvement from information technologists of all kinds. These are issues that concern us all, in our roles as designers and implementers of information technology, as well as in our role as consumers of information and participants in the Information Society.