Numerous efforts are carried out today that aim at filling the gap between the Information Society and the elderly persons and persons with disabilities. These efforts are focused on making the Internet accessible. When web sites are accessed, users with visual or auditive deficiencies can access the contents through specific screen browsers, Braille-adapted keyboards, subtitled videos, etc.
When users are suffering motor disability, the web pages need to have the active areas with a considerable size in order to facilitate the use to persons who do not have a precise control of the mouse (Persons with the Parkinson disease, brain paralysis, etc). These persons need specific developments that might have as consequence the reduction of the information these persons can access. Also, it could happen that people with severe motor disabilities are not even able to access the information.
Today we all suffer from both time and space constraints. The objective is to allow everyone to overcome these constraints through an adaptive tool providing access to new, simpler and more accessible multimedia services
Target users
Senior people and persons suffering from disabilities, including severe cognitive and motor disabilities. In this last case, specific elements of interaction with the computer may be needed such as pulsers, etc.
Objectives
Development of an adaptable hardware and communications-based interface for computer or television.
Development of a platform for the creation of services and applications specific to the disabled and ageing people and with different goals:
• Social goals:
o Development of a web navigator that integrates simple mechanisms of interaction through the use of hardware alternative to the keyboard such as voice orders.
o Build up social networks between people sharing the same disability.
The benefits will be to bridge the digital divide by allowing elderly people and persons with severe disabilities to access to the Society of the Information through simple mechanisms of interaction.
• Healthcare goals:
o Build up services to perform mind training exercise.
o Create personalized healthcare service, i.e. warn the senior people and persons with disabilities of the timing of a specific treatment (pills).
The benefits will be two-fold: to maintain the elderly people and persons with severe disabilities active through mind exercise and to help the medical personnel (Hospital) to monitor the correct treatment of the targeted persons.
Expected Results
The expected results of the project are:
- An hardware interface device set adaptable to the senior people and persons with disabilities and enabling the interface with the computer or television.
- A framework (tools and methods) for the creation and deployment of services and applications.
- The development of services including a web navigator allowing the access of elderly people and persons with disabilities to the Internet.
- Two technology demonstrators in the area of eHealth and Entertainment.
- An analysis of business opportunities and business requirements (identifying their key strengths and weakness) for the successful commercialization of project results.
