What is Special-Needs Users

Most software engineering companies do not develop for special users, because they do not see the potential in this limited market. But 10% of the population worldwide are handicapped. In the United States, 14% of the population are estimated to suffer from a disability. In the population aged over 65, this figure becomes 50%. Disabilities are strongly linked with age, and our societies are facing a growing number of people aged 75 and more, who are more likely to have impairments or disabilities. This group will comprise 14.4% of the population in 2040, compared with 7.5% in 2003?almost a twofold increase (EU Commission, 2003). It is not a simple task to assess the effectiveness of multimedia for all users with disabilities. The question is more complicated if the users have special needs. This article provides a minimal requirements list that every software engineer, computer scientist, and Web designer should take into account if they develop a new multimodal software or a new Web site with multimedia elements.