National Academies Press: OpenBook

Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary (2013)

Chapter: 5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness

« Previous: 4 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Community Design
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

5

Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness

Social connectedness offers another way to promote community integration and participation. Judy Brewer, director of the Web Accessibility Initiative for the World Wide Web Consortium, described the abundant and rapidly proliferating ways in which information technologies can augment social connectedness for people of all ages. Clayton Lewis, consultant to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education (on leave from the University of Colorado), focused specifically on the use of these technologies by older people. As with the physical environment, universal design can span age groups and the spectrum of limitations.

WEB ACCESSIBILITY

Judy Brewer
Web Accessibility Initiative, World Wide Web Consortium;
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The World Wide Web provides people with access to the world. It offers news, information, online learning, civic participation, health care, social networking, entertainment, and more. It also represents the space in which many digital technologies are converging, which makes it a focus of both accessibility challenges and accessibility solutions.

Because of the Web’s steadily increasing importance, maintaining accessibility across all Web environments is essential for healthy aging, whether someone has a disability or not. In addition, a strong business case for Web

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

accessibility exists, involving technical carryover benefits (that is, Web accessibility also has benefits for individuals without disabilities), long-term financial benefits (due to efficiency of building to Web standards), social responsibilities, legal requirements for accessibility of information technology, and the growth of the independent living movement and disability rights culture. And people expect mainstream technology to be accessible and to address their needs in the community, with seamless access in health care settings.

As with the physical environment, universal design is a key aspect of Web accessibility, said Brewer. As Ron Mace, founder of the Center for Universal Design in Raleigh, North Carolina, has put it, universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Thus, universal design defines the user very broadly. In the context of the Web, universal design implies that everyone matters when it comes to design. Thus, compatibility and interoperability with assistive technology are critical elements of universal design for the Web.

Web Accessibility Initiative

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international vendor-neutral organization that develops standards for the Web. Hosted by the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics, and Keio University, W3C encompasses an expanding range of technologies as broadcasting, publishing, entertainment, and games all move increasingly to the Web. One of the four main technical divisions of W3C is the Web Accessibility Initiative, which includes multiple layers of work to support Web accessibility.1 The initiative covers not just hypertext markup language (HTML) but another 100 or so technical specifications that run on the Web. It identifies accessibility barriers, evaluates resources, conducts education and outreach, coordinates with research, and works to harmonize standards. W3C takes a multi-stakeholder approach that encompasses government, academia, industry, and the disability community. It seeks to build consensus through an open and transparent process that is responsive to input from different sources, including the public.

As examples of the work done by the Web Accessibility Initiative, Brewer pointed to captioning and signing for people with auditory limitations; cognitive and neurological assistance through consistent navigation, appropriate language levels, graphics, and a lack of flickering or strobing that could cause seizures; physical or speech accommodations for people

____________

1For more information, see http://www.w3.org/WAI.

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

who need to rely on keyboards, touch, eye gaze, head mouse, speech, or other alternatives to speech; and visual consistency through descriptions for graphics and audio and interoperable assistive technology. The initiative has packaged these concepts in a set of accessibility principles, which urge that Web content be

  • perceivable,
  • operable,
  • understandable, and
  • robust.

The Web Accessibility Initiative also has a motivational context so that people understand the need for accessibility and act on that need. It provides training, demonstrations, sample code, and other forms of implementation support for accessibility efforts. It supports accessibility at the technical level across the expanding range of devices. International standards for Web content accessibility have been endorsed by international standards organizations, including the W3C, with provisions for the addition of future technologies. Web developers can customize the standards to the technologies being used in an organization. User accessibility guidelines cover the entire Web space and pay particular attention to mobile accessibility.

The Open Web Platform ties together the current generation of Web technologies, including mobile devices, tablets, traditional desktops, and kiosks. The Web Accessibility Initiative has been working to build accessibility into the platform so that it will conform with the goals of universal design. For example, interactive menus and drag and drop capabilities should be accessible to people using assistive technology. Independent user interfaces should add capabilities for touch, gestural, and speech control of Web content. Accessibility should be built in and capable of extension.

Concluding Remarks

Accessibility solutions largely exist, said Brewer, though continued research is needed to keep up with new advancing technologies. Accessibility policies need to be in place throughout organizations, with end-to-end project management approaches, and training needs to be available where needed. The Web Accessibility Initiative offers resources on getting started, guidelines and techniques, planning and implementing, evaluations of accessibility, presentations and tutorials, and other ways of getting involved with the initiative. Support for future research and standardization efforts in multi-stakeholder forums will continue to promote awareness as well

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

as ensure implementation for newer accessibility solutions as they become available.

CLOUD COMPUTING

Clayton Lewis, Ph.D.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Lewis began by quoting his late mother: “The Internet is a corner I will not turn.” How can an intelligent, capable, older person be convinced to take advantage of the technological opportunities that are available? he asked.

Drawing on an example offered by Gregg Vanderheiden at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Lewis showed a picture of a typical computer screen. If described as an image of windows, Lewis’s mother would say, “There are no windows there.” If told to click on a scrollbar, she would say, “What’s a scrollbar?” As an example of a technology suited to his mother, Lewis showed a computer screen developed by Vanderheiden’s group, in which e-mails appear as conventional paper envelopes with printed pages inside. He also showed an animation in which a mail truck comes onto a screen and picks up an e-mail icon so that a computer user knows that an e-mail has been sent. Finally, Lewis showed a photograph of binders containing printouts of some 2,500 messages that his mother had sent and received by e-mail using programs designed to overcome the complexity of electronic communications, developed by CaringFamily LLC. Even people who do not want to turn the Internet corner can take advantage of technology if provided with answers to their problems, he said.

Cloud-Based Accessibility Technology

The Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure initiative,2 supported by NIDRR and led by Gregg Vanderheiden, has been working to improve the user experience for computer users with disabilities by allowing those individuals to store their needs and preferences online and then autopersonalizing online content and services on the basis of those stored settings. For example, someone could store a need for larger font sizes. Every time that person used a digital device, those preferences would be reflected in the experience. Such a system would help not just people with disabilities but everyone who uses digital devices.

NIDRR also sponsors other accessibility initiatives, mostly through

____________

2For more information on the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure initiative, see http:// www.gpii.net.

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

partnerships with other federal agencies. For example, NIDRR and the National Institute on Standards and Technology are engaged in a cloud computing project that is assessing cloud-based accessibility technology; the two agencies also have a visualization and usability group that is looking at cloud-based accessibility for inclusive voting. With the U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR is examining cloud-based online educational assessment for children with cognitive disabilities and accessibility information in a metadata framework for online educational resources.

Opportunities

Cloud-based accessibility technology opens a wealth of opportunities, said Lewis. This technology supports not only family communication but community communication. For example, many people move late in life, which often means breaking community ties. Technology can help people maintain ties with church groups or civic organizations even when they are not in the same community. As Lewis pointed out, people are much more likely to maintain their high school friends now than in the past because of applications of technology. Technology can also enhance community participation, as when social media help people with disabilities interact with their communities or take advantage of educational activities and resources.

Technology can help people manage personal data, such as the forms for applying for services and establishing eligibility. People can get assistance on demand when needed from trusted parties. For example, someone who sometimes gets disoriented in the community could know that they could always call for help.

A major initiative called the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace is developing ways to make online transactions safer, faster, and more private, which could have important implications for people with disabilities.3 Further opportunities for cloud computing include developing improved technology for creating accessible content and services, supporting the sharing of experience among technology consumers, and using big-data techniques on data from cloud-based services to improve services. For example, a big-data initiative could collect data in different ways that allow for the extraction of structured information and the improvement of services.

Concluding Remarks

If these opportunities are realized, Lewis concluded, everyone can have access to greatly expanded and improved services. Nevertheless, there is a

____________

3For more information, see http://www.nist.gov/nstic.

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×

big but, Lewis said. Accessibility technology must be incorporated into the infrastructure that everyone uses, not just provided for people with disabilities. Otherwise, services for people with disabilities will continue to be expensive and limited and will constantly lag behind those available to the public at large. Support for work such as the Web Accessibility Initiative of the W3C, and the Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure initiative, he said, is crucial.

Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 35
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 36
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 37
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 38
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 39
Suggested Citation:"5 Technologies to Promote Community Integration and Participation Through Social Connectedness." Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/18332.
×
Page 40
Next: 6 Health Management and Promotion »
Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology: Workshop Summary Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $36.00 Buy Ebook | $28.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the National Research Council (NRC) have had prominent roles in discussions of aging, disability, and technology for decades. In 1978, Aging and Medical Education (IOM, 1978) raised national awareness of the challenges to physicians posed by the aging of the U.S. population. Thirty years later, Retooling for an Aging America highlighted concerns for the entire health care workforce in view of the aging of the population, including the role of technology in caring for older populations. The 1988 report The Aging Population in the 21st Century examined social, economic, and demographic changes among older adults, as well as many health-related topics: health promotion and disease prevention; quality of life; health care system financing and use; and the quality of care— especially long-term care. In 1991, the landmark report Disability in America laid out a national agenda to prevent disability and improve the lives of people with disabling conditions. The 1997 report Enabling America: Assessing the Role of Rehabilitation Science and Engineering examined the knowledge base of rehabilitation science and engineering and proposed ways to translate scientific findings into interventions that produce better health. And the 2007 report The Future of Disability in America examined progress made since the earlier reports and looked at continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities.

All these reports were produced by committees appointed in accordance with guidelines of the National Academies and met multiples times to compile and review evidence, reach consensus on conclusions and recommendations, draft a report of the committee, and then modify that draft report in response to comments from outside reviewers. The IOM and NRC have also held several workshops related to aging, disability, and technology and published summary reports, such as Technology for Adaptive Aging and Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society. The IOM and NRC also convene groups that take a different approach to issues of pressing national and international importance. Often known as forums or roundtables, these groups meet regularly to foster dialogue and confront issues of mutual interest and concern among a broad range of stakeholders. They can convene workshops, initiate cooperative projects among members, commission independently authored articles, and generate ideas for independent consensus studies.

In 2012 the IOM and NRC joined together to establish the Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence to provide a neutral venue for broad-ranging discussions among the many stakeholders involved with aging and disability. The goals of the forum are to highlight areas in which the coordination of the aging and disability networks is strong, examine the challenges involved in aligning the aging and disability networks, explore new approaches for resolving problem areas, elevate the visibility and broaden the perspectives of stakeholders, and set the stage for future policy actions. Forum sponsors and members include federal agencies, health professional associations, private sector businesses, academics, and consumers. Fostering Independence, Participation, and Healthy Aging Through Technology summarizes this workshop.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!