A conceptual framework for designing Ambient assisted living services for individuals with disabilities in Uganda and South Africa

African Journal of Disability

 
 
Field Value
 
Title A conceptual framework for designing Ambient assisted living services for individuals with disabilities in Uganda and South Africa
 
Creator Kyazze, Michael Wesson, Janet Naudé, Kevin
 
Subject — disability; requirements identification; ambient assisted living; smart home; quadriplegia
Description 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.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Nelson Mandela University Distributed Multimedia Applications (DMA) Unit
Date 2019-08-26
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ajod.v8i0.477
 
Source African Journal of Disability; Vol 8 (2019); 9 pages 2226-7220 2223-9170
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/477/1140 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/477/1139 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/477/1141 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/477/1138
 
Coverage South Africa; Uganda — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2019 Michael Kyazze, Janet Wesson, Kevin Naudé https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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