User-Centered Design (Part 2-Age, Gender and Accessibility)

Abstract

In the previous chapter you looked at the challenges involved in writing for diverse audiences. You became aware that diversity is not limited to international audiences, but that just one group may contain learners with varying learning styles, native languages, and cultural backgrounds. This chapter focuses the work on accessibility in the better-known sense. That is, accessibility issues such as levels of cognitive development, health, mobility, and perceptual factors which inform user-centered design practices. This chapter includes gender and technical access issues as well.