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Easy Reading is a software tool supporting cognitive accessibility of web content. We want to enable people with cognitive disabilities to better read, understand and use all webpages. Our objective is to make webpages more accessible for everyone. The handbook provides information on joint research with people with cognitive disabilities, researchers and developers. In the Easy Reading project, people with learning difficulties research and develop as peer researchers.

TailfeatherTV has been co-written and is presented by young adults with learning disabilities especially for babies, toddlers and young children.

​TailfeatherTV episodes each have a different theme and are presented in an App-Style format.

​Viewers are taken into the 'main screen' to meet 5 lovable characters who represent a different fun area for children to explore: Dance, Sing, Sign, Learn, and Play....

This is a first exercise to connect different areas of debate, looking at the key trends of the future of work from a disability perspective and seeking to identify specific action needed in order to shape the future of work in a more disability-inclusive way.

Chapters include: Work and disability - overview of current situation; megatrends of future work and persons with disability (technological revolution, skills revolution, cultutral change, demographic change and climate change); and Roadmap for an inclusive future of work.

The following five key objectives for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the future of work have been identified:

1. New forms of employment and employment relations integrate disability inclusion

2. Skills development and life-long learning made inclusive of persons with disabilities

3. Universal Design embedded in development of all new infrastructure, products and services

4. Assistive technologies, existing and newly developed, to be made affordable and available

5. Measures to include persons with disabilities in growing and developing areas of the economy

Governments, companies, disability NGOs, trade unions and academia must be encouraged to commit and contribute towards achieving these objectives through different actions. An inclusive future of work can be reached through coordination and alliances among the different stakeholders

Background: Individuals with disabilities experience difficulty in using various everyday technologies such as computers and smartphones.

Objectives: To propose a conceptual framework that will lead to the development of practical and user friendly assistive technology.

Method: A literature review of challenges faced by individuals with physical disabilities was carried out. Interviews with adults with physical disabilities in Kampala, Uganda, and Port Elizabeth, South Africa, identified three main challenges with regard to using technology: using a mobile phone, controlling an electronic environment and using a computer.

Results: The challenges identified can be solved by taking into consideration the needs of individuals with disabilities. However, the design of new technologies and interaction techniques, such as natural hand gestures and voice, as input mechanisms has able-bodied individuals in mind. Individuals with disabilities are considered as an afterthought. The main reason for this is that individuals with a disability are a minority and hence it may not make economic sense for technology innovators to cater for their unique needs. A lack of practical guidelines on how to design for individuals with disabilities is another reason why designing for individuals with disabilities is often an afterthought.

Conclusion: This article proposes a conceptual framework that can be used by researchers and technology designers in order to design products that could cater for the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. The article also emphasises the importance of exploring alternative interaction techniques, as they could enable individuals with disabilities to fully utilise technologies such as smart phones, computers and smart home electronics.

African Journal of Disability, Vol 8, 2019

Background: Access to assistive technology (AT) is poor in African countries because of a lack of knowledge, resources, services and products. A mobile application, the AT-Info-Map, was developed to map AT availability in southern Africa.

Objectives: This article aimed to describe users’ and suppliers’ perceptions of the AT-Info-Map app.

Method: Qualitative data were collected in Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and Lesotho, through nine focus group discussions with 72 participants. Participants included AT users, AT suppliers and representatives of disability organisations. Data were thematically analysed.

Results: Two broad themes, that is, usefulness of the AT-Info-Map application and technical issues and content, emerged from the data analysis. Subthemes under usefulness focused on the importance of using current technology, convenience of the app, the need for accuracy, responsiveness of supplier to user’s needs, influence on AT market and how the app creates an opportunity for networking. Challenges to download and navigate the app, the need for training in its use, exclusion of those not literate in English and those with visual impairments were subthemes under technical issues and content.

Conclusion: The app was perceived as an important step to increase access to AT for persons with disabilities in less resourced settings. The challenges that emerged from the data analysis have led to the development of a web-based system that will complement or replace the app and improve AT information provision. However, the information provided by the app and website is still only a partial solution to improve AT access in Southern Africa.

African Journal of Disability, Vol 8, 2019

Background: Because resources are limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), the development of outcome measures is of interest. Wheelchair outcome measures are useful to support evidence-based practice in wheelchair provision.

Objectives: The Wheelchair Interface Questionnaire (WIQ) is being developed to provide a professional perspective on the quality of the interface between a wheelchair and its user. This article discusses the development of the WIQ and its face and content validity.

Method: During field studies in Kenya, we sought to include professional report data on the wheelchair–user interface that could be analysed to inform design changes. None of the existing measures was focused on the interface between users and their wheelchairs. The WIQ was developed to meet this need. To investigate face and content validity, 24 experienced wheelchair professionals participated in a study that included two rounds of an online survey and a focus group in Kenya.

Results: Responses were categorised by topic and the WIQ was modified following each iteration. Participants affirmed the usefulness of a brief professional report measure to provide a snapshot of the user–wheelchair interface. Participants emphasised the importance of brevity, wide applicability and provision of specific feedback for wheelchair modification or design changes. The focus group agreed that the final version provided useful data and was applicable to virtually all wheelchair users in LMIC.

Conclusion: These preliminary studies indicate initial face and content validity of the WIQ as a method for providing a professional perspective on the interface between a user and his or her wheelchair.

African Journal of Disability, Vol 8, 2019

AbilityNet’s Factsheets are free to download and provide advice and information about how computers and other digital technologies can help people with a range of conditions and impairments. 

Written by the AbilityNet specialist team of assessors and accessibility consultants they give detailed information on a wide range of assistive technology, services and related organisations. Many give a step by step guide to help you set up your computer and software (assistive technology) to meet your individual requirements.

Factsheets include

Creating Accessible Documents

Autism and Computers

Telephones and Mobile Phones

Communication Aids

Disability and Employment

Stroke and Computing

Multiple Sclerosis and Computing

Osteoarthritis and Computing

Vision impairment and Computing

Voice Recognition - An Overview

Hearing Loss and Computing

An introduction to screen readers

Parkinson's and Technology

Dementia and Computing

Dyslexia and Technology

Learning Difficulties and Computing

The contacts provided are UK based.

Purpose: 

To investigate the bilateral postural adaptations as a result of standing on an increasingly unstable sway-referenced support surface with both the intact and prosthetic limb for transtibial prosthesis users (TPUs).

Method: 

TPUs (n = 14) and matched controls (n = 14) stood quietly in multiple foot placement conditions (intact foot, prosthetic foot and both feet) on a sway-referenced support surface which matched surface rotation to the movement of the centre of pressure (CoP). Force and motion data were collected and used to analyse CoP mean position, displacement integral and force components under intact and prosthetic limbs.

Results: 

Significant differences were found between prosthesis users and controls in CoP mean position in anteroposterior (1.5 (95% CI, 1.2–1.8) cm) and mediolateral directions (3.1 (95% CI, 0.5–5.7) cm. CoP displacement integrals were significantly different greater for prosthesis user group in the anteroposterior direction. Force components differences were found in all planes (anteroposterior: 0.6 (95% CI, 0.4–0.8 N); mediolateral: 0.1 (95% CI, 0.0–0.2 N & 0.3 (95% CI, 0.2–0.4) N, inferosuperior: 2.2 (95% CI, 1.4–3.0) N).

Conclusions: 

TPUs have bilateral static and dynamic postural adaptations when standing on a sway-referenced support surface that is different to controls, and between prosthetic and intact sides. Results further support evidence highlighting importance of the intact limb in maintenance of postural control in prosthesis users. Differences indicate clinical treatment should be directed towards improving outcomes on the intact side.

The key objective of the Global Disability Summit was to deliver ambitious new global and national level commitments on disability inclusion. National governments and other organisations made 170 sets of commitments around the four central themes of the Summit (ensuring dignity and respect for all, inclusive education, routes to economic empowerment and harnessing technology and innovation), as well as the two cross-cutting themes (women and girls with disabilities and conflict and humanitarian contexts), and data disaggregation.

Commitments made can be viewed in full on: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/global-disability-summit-commitments