We operate our televisions in the morning to catch up on the news or find out about the weather. Throughout the day we drive our cars, use our telephones, our radios, washing machines, cookers and computers. At the end of the twentieth century a major shift has taken place in the way we use computers to drive these machines - which save us time, provide us with information, entertain us and allow us to communicate. The computer and microchip have allowed designers and engineers to produce extremely helpful and sophisticated machines and tools. With the introduction of more sophisticated machines, such as digital interactive television, mobile telephony and the Internet, we find ourselves having to use even more complex controls, buttons and interfaces.
Most people know how difficult it can be to set up and control a video recorder.
In our cars we have radios that are packed with features incorporating mobile telephones and navigation systems. When considering the needs of elderly people and persons with disabilities, it is necessary to be aware that having little or no vision, poor manual dexterity or weak grip can make using the machines and tools in our everyday lives very difficult. Lack of foresight and thought into the way people interact with machines can mean that the very technologies that allow us to produce the most wonderful and sophisticated tools can also deny access to a significant section of the population. The buttons, switches and controls of most devices are designed to be looked at whilst operating them. Obviously this makes things difficult for people who are blind or have low vision.