Teaching Diversity Through
Inclusive Design Case Studies
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology,
CPB/WGBH National Center for
Accessible Media, and
Education Development Center
L. Goldberg, E. Jolly, J.P. Mellor, B. Moeller,
M. Rothberg, R. Stamper, and M. Wollowski
What is Inclusive Design?
Inclusive design of technology means
developing systems flexible enough to serve
the broadest possible range of users. Inclusive
design calls for adaptable interfaces to be built
into the product early in the design phase,
producing systems more easily used by
everyone.
An Example of Inclusive Design
Why Use Inclusive Design?
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It’s the “right” thing to do
Legally mandated in some cases
Increase market share and improve products
Benefits for many users
Principles of Inclusive Design
• Equitable Use: does not disadvantage or stigmatize any
group of users.
• Flexibility in Use: accommodates a wide range of
individual preferences and abilities.
• Simple, Intuitive Use: easy to understand, regardless of
the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or
current concentration level.
• Perceptible Information: communicates necessary
information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient
conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
Principles of Inclusive Design,
cont.
• Tolerance for Error: minimizes hazards and the adverse
consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• Low Physical Effort: can be used efficiently and
comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue.
• Size and Space for Approach & Use: appropriate size
and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation,
and use, regardless of the user's body size, posture, or
mobility.
Engineering Education for
Inclusive Design
• Future engineers need to be more
responsive to the needs of different
countries, cultures, and people
• Students need to learn to design for users
other than themselves
• Case studies are a good vehicle for
expanding their horizons
Case Studies on Inclusive Design
• Ideal for a student-centered, industry-oriented curriculum
• Expose students to the complexity of the real-world design
process
• Illustrate the impact of incomplete or delayed information
about product capabilities, performance requirements
and/or desired feature sets
• Reflect the connection between technical innovation in the
laboratory, its application within a product, and its impact
on end users
Talking ATM Case Study
• Real-world events
• A familiar product with clear links to daily life
• Technical constraints on possible solutions require
creative thinking
• Results came from cooperation between banks,
consumers, and technology companies
• Attention to both the specific topic (interface
design) and the decision making process to ensure
relevance across the engineering curriculum
Inclusive Design in
Computer Science
Big aspect of early courses is the software design process,
so add a component to the group project assignment where:
- Groups study the ATM case
- Different groups will assume roles of:
Software designer
Legislator
Interest Group
Manager
- Groups study issues from their perspective
- Based on group input, a single project design is developed
- Groups decide which aspects of the design to implement
Inclusive Design in
Mechanical Engineering
In the Talking ATM case, the interface itself is less
relevant to ME, but the decision making process is
an important focus. This course will use the same
case but focus on how the engineering decisions are
made, who has responsibility for decisions, what
constraints limit choices, and how the best solution is
decided on.