The ÆGIS project now also has a dedicated user forum available online where people that are interested to comment on various topics, can do so in various categories:
- Developers: Developers involved in software development for desktop, mobile, internet and rich internet applications can comment here on accessibility aspects related to assistive technologies.
- End-users: Web applications: What is your view on the accessibility of internet applications and the internet overall?
- End-users: Mobile applicationsEnd-users: What are your thoughts on the accessibility of mobile applications?
- End-users: Screen Readers: What are your experiences with screenreaders?
- End-users: Assistive Technologies: End-users can comment here on their experiences and opinions regarding assistive technologies in general.
- End-users: Desktop applications: Here is the area where end-users can comment on their experiences and opinions regarding assistive technologies in the area of desktop applications.
You only need to register after which you can share your expertise/experience with others.
The ÆGIS project seeks to determine whether 3rd generation access techniques will provide a more accessible, more exploitable and deeply embeddable approach in mainstream ICT (desktop, rich Internet and mobile applications). This approach is developed and explored with the Open Accessibility Framework (OAF) through which aspects of the design, development and deployment of accessible mainstream ICT are addressed. The OAF provides embedded and built-in accessibility solutions, as well as toolkits for developers, for “engraving” accessibility in existing and emerging mass-market ICT-based products, thus making accessibility open, plug and play, personalised and configurable, realistic and applicable in various contexts; ÆGIS is placing users and their needs at the centre of all ICT developments. Based on a holistic UCD, ÆGIS identifies user needs and interaction models for several user groups, (users with visual, hearing, motion, speech and cognitive impairments as well as application developers) and develops open source-based generalised accessibility support into mainstream ICT devices/applications:
- desktop,
- rich web applications, and
- Java-based mobile devices.
All developments will be iteratively tested with a significant number of end users, developers and experts in 3 phases and 4 Pilot sites Europe wide (in Belgium, Spain, Sweden and the UK).
The project includes strong industrial and end user participation (the participating industries are among the market leaders in the corresponding mainstream ICT markets). The project results’ uptake is promoted by strong standardisation activities, as well as the fact that much of the technology results will be either new open source applications or will be built into existing and already widely adopted open source ICT.
