One of the hallmarks of a well designed product or service is that it does not exclude user populations on the basis of disabilities. Acuity Research Group personnel have over 20 years of experience helping verify the design and usability of assistive devices.
Victor Emerson is a member of the City of Ottawa's Accessibility Advisory Committee, and regularly participates in industry conferences such as the annual conference "Technology and Persons with Disabilities", hosted by the Center on Disabilities at CSUN (California State University at Northridge) (www.csun.edu/cod).
Acuity Research Group is a member of RESNA, the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (www.resna.org).
Sample projects include:
- assessment of the prioritization of issues to be addressed by telecom equipment manufacturers and service providers in achieving conformance to Section 255 of the (U.S.) Telecom Act of 1996;
- verification of the physical packaging, industrial design, and functionality of a bank-note reader for users with a visual impairment; and
- verification of a sonar-based mobility aid for visually impaired users.
(Updated 18 January 2005.)
