Aims, objectives and research questions

Aims

The aims of Inclusive New Media Design are

• to examine ways in which socially inclusive new media might be designed for disabled communities, particularly intellectually disabled communities

• to contribute towards the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in the web

Objectives

The objectives are

• to explore the place of web accessibility guidelines within the practices of new media designers and within creative design processes

• to explore the factors which affect the take up of accessibility guidelines and the accessibility ethos (for example, clients‚ priorities and interests)

• to examine the effectiveness of guidelines as a way of achieving accessible web design

• to examine the effectiveness of approaches other than guidelines as a way of achieving accessible web design (for example, the inclusion of intellectually disabled users in the design process, or demonstrations of exemplary accessible web design)

• to disseminate findings amongst relevant academics, new media designers and developers and key international bodies such as W3C

Research questions

As a research project, INMD aimed to answer some research questions.

These were:

• How might the social inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in new media like the world wide web be achieved?

• How effective are web accessibility guidelines as a means of achieving such social inclusion?

• What factors affect the take up and application of the accessibility ethos and guidelines in the web design practices of new media designers?

• What is the relationship between accessibility guidelines and the creative design process?

• How effective are other approaches (such as the inclusion of disabled users in the design process or highlighting exemplary practice) in achieving accessible web design?

• What is the relationship between

  • discourses about creativity in general, and creativity in new media work in particular

  • designers and developers‚ perceptions of their work

  • the extent of their accessibility practice

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