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This chapter discusses a bottom-up design strategy to support the principles of Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning adapted for online course development. The concept of Universal Design demands a holistic, bottom-up instructional design model for online course development that integrates technology, accessibility, recent instructional and learning theories, and a participatory postmodern worldview. This study is intended for faculty, instructional designers, administrators, assistive technology staff, and Web multimedia software vendors associated with higher education. The research assists these target audiences to design and develop online courses that are accessible without special adaptation or modification. The components of Universal Design for online learning support newer emergent approaches to instructional design, various programming solutions used in the software engineering field for efficiency, Universal Design for Learning, and legal guidelines associated with accessibility.

Accessibility metadata has been a recurring theme in recent efforts aimed at promoting accessibility of information and communication technology solutions to all, regardless of their disabilities, cultural differences, language, etc. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of accessibility metadata in improving knowledge discovery and access in digital library environments, discuss developments in creating accessibility terms for resource description, and attempt to relate those developments to the overall purpose of universal design to finally recommend points for improvement.

This is an exploratory study based on review of selected literature and documentations made available by metadata projects. Search for related literature was made using Google Scholar, EBSCO, and Web of Science Databases using terms and combination of terms such as “universal design and metadata,” “accessibility metadata,” “inclusive design,” and “metadata and digital libraries.” Some documentation on metadata projects were obtained through e-mail correspondences.

The overall discussion shows that accessibility metadata can be instrumental in exposing accessible resources to search engines and in augmenting library resource discovery tools for the benefit of users with disabilities. Accessibility metadata would help users to quickly discover materials that fit their needs. However, the notion of indexing resources by their accessibility attributes remains an area that needs further exploration.

The paper gives emphasis to the importance of metadata research in universal design endeavors. It also provides recommendations for practical applications that would improve accessibility in digital library environments.

The purpose of the paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with special emphasis on sustainability and universal design. Findings of the study are the basis for further research and development of enhanced strategies for retrofitting and adaptive reuse of heritage buildings in the framework of sustainability and universal design.

The present research focusses on literature review analysis of specific elements of the refurbishment of heritage buildings with the aim to discover the characteristics/indicators of sustainability and universal design, which are usually used in refurbishment project and the gaps. In this paper, the latest state-of-art in the mentioned fields has been assessed, and the developments along with research gaps and potential future research focusses have been identified. The literature was collected mainly through Science Direct, World Wide Science and Emerald, especially focussed on publications from 2000 to 2019 written in English and the Web for regulatory and recommendation publications. Other sources, such as actual projects, might shed additional light on the specific issues of the studied topics.

This review shows that the current research related to heritage building renovation and reuse does not address sustainability and universal design issues comprehensively. Typically, in research, the topics of heritage, sustainability and inclusiveness are considered separately. In real situations, however, they are interconnected and influence each other, forming an indivisible whole. The needs of persons with disabilities (PWD) in correlation to the built heritage are not well studied. This is why it is important to consider these topics not only separately but also in an interrelated way.

The need for cross-disciplinary problem-solving method, based on a holistic approach, to form the base for implementation of universal design principles into refurbishing of heritage buildings is seen.

This paper demonstrates the need for usable procedures for various stakeholders in their everyday practice.

The combined subjects of sustainability, heritage buildings and universal design are not well covered by research. Lack of appropriate literature for this specific area is forming a significant gap that hinders the development of relevant information and methods that could be applied in actual projects. This paper, albeit in a partial way, intends to fill this gap and opts to provide a comprehensive summary of the sustainability factors affecting adaptive reuse of heritage buildings with special emphasis on users, specifically PWD.

Patients' movement in mental health facilities is frequently compromised for reasons quite apart from real physical incompetence. Accessibility within mental healthcare facilities is a more complex issue than universal accessibility standards generically allow for. The purpose of this paper is to critically question the adequacy of universal design aids as the main way to deal with accessibility in facilities for the adult mentally ill in the community.

Several community mental healthcare units (in both Great Britain and France) are reviewed and analysed while they are occupied and running. The focus of the study is on restrictions of movement and the use of universal accessibility devices. The data are part of a broader exploratory study of facilities for mental healthcare, which used empirical, comparative and user inclusive methods.

Mental health facilities are rarely designed for the model of care and staffing regimes which they will house. This discordance between the physical and organizational milieu inevitably compromises accessibility, even though patients tend to be physically able. Outdoor access, vertical circulation and the accessibility of bathrooms are particularly affected.

Models of care, management and staffing requirements, therapeutic needs of patients and interpersonal relationships should be considered for accessibility during planning, in addition to traditional accessibility devices and design. Furthermore, more research is needed to address the ways that accessibility devices need to be altered to comply with the psychosocial elements.

This paper readdresses the traditional view of accessibility, suggesting the paradigm needs to be better developed and nuanced for mental healthcare facilities.

This study aims to examine the usability of three popular electronic reading devices (e-readers) to determine which device provides the best functionality for individuals with print disabilities. Adaptability and flexibility for use with assistive technology are also evaluated.

This study reports the results of a usability test of e-readers and their potential for use by individuals with print disabilities. Students enrolled in a School of Library and Information Science evaluated and compared the devices through a series of tasks designed to measure functionality. Participants completed a series of questionnaires and engaged in small group discussion about the efficacy of the devices. Likert scales and open-ended evaluation were employed in the evaluation and analysis.

Two of the three devices examined offered no accessibility features for individuals with low or no vision who require assistive technologies to use information and communication technologies. The third device, while offering greater universal access functionality for individuals with mild-to-moderate print disabilities, also had weaknesses for individuals with severe print disabilities.

With the rapid deployment of e-readers, little research has been completed measuring the accessibility and functionality for individuals with print disabilities in library or educational environments. The paper provides data on the usability of e-readers for users with print disabilities and recommendations for adopting e-reader use in libraries and educational environments. It will inform and guide information professionals seeking to provide greater access to resources for patrons with specialized access needs.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which accessibility is taken into account in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites through the lens of a specific study related to Dubai e-government.

The paper considers a case study related to Dubai e-government and it evaluates the accessibility of each of the 21 Dubai e-government web sites, based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and using an automated accessibility testing tool. A bivariate correlation analysis is performed to assess the correlation between web site ranking and accessibility score.

The research reveals that contrary to common intuition and some earlier studies, there is a weak correlation between e-government web site ranking score and web site accessibility.

The paper uses an accessibility metric that is a proxy indicator of web accessibility and is not a real assessment of accessibility as experienced by a person with disability.

When re-examined through the lens of Rawls's moral theory, this research suggests that accessibility should be given a higher priority in the general evaluation and ranking of e-government web sites.

The paper promotes universal accessibility to e-government information and services.

The paper uses ethical arguments to highlight the need to comprehensively consider accessibility as a major criterion in the assessment and ranking of e-government web sites.

The purpose of this research is to examine web accessibility initiative (WAI) guidelines for web accessibility so as to incorporate web accessibility in information systems (IS) curriculum.

The authors used the WebXact software accessibility evaluation tool to test the top pages of web sites of the 23 California State University (CSU) campuses in order to identify the level of compliance to federal standards. The authors also designed and conducted a questionnaire to survey the students who were enrolled in the first web development course at CSU, Dominguez Hills to access their knowledge and skills in various web accessibility topics.

The research findings show that the majority of the CSU campuses' top web pages failed to meet WAI guidelines at some point. Moreover, two‐thirds of the students who responded to the survey have no knowledge of web accessibility topics included in the questionnaires. The results indicate that IS programs failed to incorporate accessibility in their curricula and produce web developers with the skills and knowledge in web accessibility.

The limitation of this research is that the sample size is small. The authors intend to increase the number of universities' web site in the test and survey all students in the IS program in a future study.

This research is background work that will help the authors to incorporate accessibility topics in their web development courses that include web accessibility basic concepts, universal design, Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act, web content accessibility guidelines, WAI guidelines for web accessibility, and web accessibility testing tools.

This research improves the current state of web accessibility in curriculum higher education.

The author takes a comprehensive look at the accessibility of e-resources for all people, including those with disabilities, in the context of collection development (CD).

Employing a combination of research methodologies — policy analysis, content analysis, and phone survey—the author explores the extent to which the needs of people with disabilities are considered.

Several professional library organizations recommend accessibility-sensitive selection and procurement procedures. However, not all students enrolled in library school programs might learn about the issue. Few books on the subject cover the issue adequately. Nationwide, CD policies requiring conformance to accessibility standards are the exception; and when librarians meet to make decisions about the selection of specific e-resources, the needs of people with disabilities are rarely on their radar screens.

Researchers conducting similar surveys in the future might want to not only select a statistically more representative sample of academic libraries but also widen their focus and include both accessibility and usability in their investigations.

Textbook authors and course instructors in the area of CD need to address accessibility and usability. Librarians need to raise the issue with database and e-book vendors during license negotiations.

The acquisition of e-resources designed to be accessible and usable for all will enable people with disabilities to participate more fully in our information-driven society.

The data collected provide for a broad discussion of the extent to which the needs of people with disabilities are considered in connection with CD.

It is important to design accessible destinations for disabled tourists. However, to attract this market segment, it is also important to efficiently communicate online the accessibility provided. This paper aims to analyse the online communication of physical accessibility conditions designed for disabled tourists, to discuss the existence or non-existence of a design–communication gap in tourist destinations.

The authors analysed the physical accessibility of a selection of touristic spots in Porto, Portugal. The online communication regarding the physical accessibility of these spots’ informative websites was also analysed. Subsequently, a content analysis of these same websites was conducted to ascertain whether accessibility conditions for disabled tourists are disclosed in line with the physical and online facilities observed.

The destination websites’ online contents targeting disabled tourists are generic and do not inform about all the accessible facilities provided by the touristic spots analysed.

The authors found a gap between the accessible destination design and its communication in destination websites. This situation creates a barrier for people with physical disabilities and it is particularly concerning, considering that this market segment seeks for information in online sources to plan trips and does not find on the internet all the information about the accessible facilities provided. This fact may hinder the positioning of destinations as inclusive places and impair accessible tourism competitiveness. A better online communication of the accessible destination design is recommended.

为残疾游客设计出无障碍旅游地是非常重要的。然而, 为了吸引这部分游客市场, 有效地在线宣传提供的无障碍条件也是非常重要的。本论文分析为残疾游客提供的无障碍设施的在线宣传, 以讨论旅游地是否存在设计-宣传差异。

本论文分析了葡萄牙波尔图城市游客景点的无障碍设施。本论文还分析了这些景点网站对于无障碍设施的描述。本论文采用文本分析方法, 对这些网站内容进行分析, 验证是否为残疾游客提供的无障碍设施如网上宣传介绍一直。

研究结果表明, 景点网站针对残疾游客的内容太过笼统, 并没有介绍景区提供的全部无障碍设施。

本论文展示了无障碍旅游地设计与其网站宣传之间的差异。这将对残疾人造成障碍, 尤其是那些通过在线信息来确立旅游计划的游客, 他们无法在网络上找到全部关于提供的无障碍设施的信息。这将阻碍景点定位为全包容性旅游目的地, 影响其无障碍旅游竞争力。本论文推荐无障碍景点设计应该有一个更好的在线宣传。

The purpose of this study is to describe knowledge, awareness and experience of different employees in a Swedish municipality (City of Gothenburg) concerning the disability perspective, accessibility and universal design in practice.

This study is based on an online survey. A total of 119 different employees responded to the survey. The data was analyzed from a mixed-method approach, using descriptive statistics and textual analysis. The study also included personal interviews with 19 employees in the City of Gothenburg.

A total of 521 employees in the City of Gothenburg participated in disability awareness exercises (DAE) at the Disability Awareness Arena to gain greater knowledge and insight on disability perspectives in different environments and services. Of these, 119 people representing different professions in soft and hard services and companies participated in the survey; and 19 people participated in personal interviews. The study showed that a vast majority of them were very satisfied and they have developed and practiced their new knowledge and attitude toward disability and accessibility.

One limitation in this study is that it has investigated the experiences and effects of the DAE 6–12 months after its implementation. Therefore, it is not possible to analyze long-term effects that the DAE can have in practice.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior study of these issues has been conducted in Sweden. This study is deemed to have significant social benefit because of the steadily increasing demand for disability simulations, awareness of disability perspective and accessibility in municipality settings. No other study has addressed the importance of the DAE in these perspectives. DAE is defined in this article as a unique concept for promoting the usage of the disability perspective in the everyday workplace.