Producers of technology are too concerned with meeting the demands of ever more megabytes, megahertz etc., their approach to the market is machine-oriented, criticises Hein de Graaf in his paper People with Impaired Functions and the Use of Technology . He argues that user-oriented services which can help people to use machines effectively and in an uncomplicated way are neglected. The author sees a role for care and welfare professionals to fill the gap, because of their special knowledge and information about consumers and because of their professional role in delivering services. He introduces just such an agency offering computer support for people with disabilities. The system supports information services which are easily accessible to customers, which has a low learning threshold and aims to be a dynamic information service.
Users are to be furnished with tailor-made information.
The program is a full text documentary system and is distributed freely. While technical solutions are often noisily announced when entering the market, follow-up investigations on their use are rare. It is designed to be used by experts and clients to give information on their entitlement to social benefits. While the survey shows that the use of the system by clients is uncomplicated, in most cases, the use by clients is still unsatisfactory. Reasons are seen to be in social workers resistance to handing over parts of their competence to a computer program as well as the widespread suspicion of exaggerated demands and abuse of the social system.