What are the best ways to ensure that an invention is user-friendly for people with disabilities?

Very much agree with Nikhil's comments. The key starting points are what's the problem we're trying to solve, what experiences are wished for, and by whom. It's critical that the people who wish for these experiences, and associated outcomes, are both engaged and invoked throughout, from requirements gathering, to design, development and testing. By the very nature of disability, this may be so varied that constant iteration is required (and funding to support maintenance, development and sustainability). Some disabilities may make contributions difficult, and various methods may be required to ensure opportunities for people to have a say, including use of proxies, such as family, carers and advocates.

Consult with end users as soon as possible during the design stages. Use their feedback to improve the design. If possible develop early stage prototypes and demonstrate to end users.

To make sure an invention is user-friendly for people with disabilities, involve them in the design process, understand their needs, and regularly test the product with them. Also, follow accessibility guidelines and be open to feedback for improvements. This approach helps create a more inclusive and accessible invention.

To ensure an invention is user-friendly for people with disabilities, understanding your users is paramount. Engage in inclusive user research, involving individuals with diverse disabilities. Conduct empathy interviews, observe daily routines, and gather feedback iteratively. For instance, when developing a mobility aid, spend time with wheelchair users to grasp nuanced needs. Unconventional advice: Establish a co-design partnership. Involve users with disabilities not just as subjects but as collaborators. They offer unique insights, shaping the invention organically. A blind individual advising on a navigation device, for example, brings firsthand experience to enhance usability.

Any invention has a target population and it is essential to make sure that the complete population is covered and the accessibility should not be the limiting factor at all. The invention at the initial stage might not consider all these factors however either at the stage of commercialization or utilization, it is important to include all the parameters at each step of design, development, testing, maintenance. The coverage should be assessed not only at the testing stage but also in the market assessment prior to the release. Another consideration can be using the data from the competitive products in terms of accessibility. This testing shall also evolve over time and based on the accessibility requirement of the market.

Antes de comenzar cualquier proyecto, es fundamental definir de manera clara y precisa cuáles serán los objetivos y alcance del mismo. Esto permitirá tener una visión clara de lo que se espera lograr y establecer los límites y líneas de acción necesarios para llevarlo a cabo de manera exitosa. Sin una definición adecuada de objetivos y alcance, un proyecto puede correr el riesgo de desviarse, no cumplir con las expectativas o incluso no llegar a completarse.

Develop different prototypes and let them test. Sometimes a details making a good product to an excellent one. 3D printing if possible

Es importante desarrollar programas de empatización: identificación, caracterización y vigilancia de los usuarios potenciales. Generar perfiles y conocerlos a todos ellos. Desarrollar prototipos y contrastarlos con personas reales. Registrar todos los comentarios y, sobretodo, las actuaciones y cómo los usuarios han interaccionado con la solución propuesta. Recoger todas las incidencias, preferencias y ausencias de la aplicación. Rediseñar y volver a probar. Repetir, repetir, repetir.

Más que el diseño universal el diseño específico para el usuario con su necesidad …. Que debería servir a miles de personas con el mismo problema ( que no es universal )

Es importante identificar qué aspectos de nuestra propuesta se alejan del principio de Diseño Universal. Por ello, es fundamental construir prototipos lo antes posible, para poder reconocer dónde se producen las fricciones con los usuarios desde un inicio. Cuanto antes detectemos fallos en el concepto, más rápidas y menos costosas resultarán las readaptaciones.

The design must increase the user's experiences, their freedom, and maintain the motto that simplicity is the maximum sophistication.

Creo que la definición de diseño universal es uno de los puntos más importantes de cualquier idea.. mientras más usuarios con necesidad son involucrados el alcance del proyecto será más importante. En el caso de la aplicación final, previa etapa de prueba, de los proyectos en discapacidad creo que sería Importantes estar bajo paraguas institucionales como departamentos gubernamentales, fundaciones etc.

Je pense que l'on peut aussi utiliser les technologies de conception en environnement immersif 3D. Cela permet de minimiser les erreurs et les difficultés d'accessibilité.

El diseño requiere del involucramiento desde el inicio de los usuarios quienes serán los usuarios. Esto ayudará a mitigar errores de diseño

Agreed. User-friendly, Simplicity and intuitiveness and Flexibility in Use explain All. User should feel comfortable and trust the invention. Nowadays there is a huge commercialization on treating Diabetes 2 with some Gummy type material. Look at the Price ( Not Consumer friendly ); Bottomline, I was not sure how much my credit card will be charged? Here I meant the Ads… will cook you till end without telling the charges. Why not tell the consumer Exact amount….they will not tell…. My Trust is shaken.

É importante que os padrões de acessibilidade cheguem até o corpo superior das empresas para difundir essas políticas e aprimorá-las cada vez mais. Hoje em dia é difícil de ver empresas buscando incluir estas pessoas de forma mais ativa, principalmente em um ambiente industrial.

This step is where the rubber meets the road, and likely the phase in which you will get the most usable feedback, and spend the most time & money. You will never get it right the first time regardless of how much time, effort, and experts you put into the front end research and design inputs. You need to get your invention out to the potential users, especially with a niche market with limited studies & market info. The testing phase of a realistic innovation roadmap should probably include… fail, fix, fail, learn & update, fail, fix, fail, learn and update, fail again, hopefully find the “aha” moment this time around, then finally succeed. All of this prior to refining the product for production and the market.

Vou comentar sobre as premissas dos estudos científicos o que envolvem inovação, independente da área e alvo, para mim temos 5 fases: (1) verificar se o que está propondo é realmente uma inovação, para isso se deve fazer uma boa revisão bibliográfica de artigos, patentes e produtos; (2) tenha claro quais são suas hipóteses do estudo e escreva todas num papel, em nosso caso a acessibilidade não pode ser negligenciada em nenhuma das hipóteses; (3) elabore um plano de estudo do que se pretende testar para cada hipótese. Nesta fase metodologias devem ser desenvolvidas e quantificadas. (4) os resultados obtidos devem ser possíveis serem avaliados estatisticamente e comparando com testemunhas. (5) conclusões serão obtidas de maneira sólida.

Discrepo con este punto. Probar y evaluar no es el último paso, sino que debe ser un proceso presente desde el desarrollo del primer concepto de nuestra invención. Averiguar al final del desarrollo que la solución tiene fallos de concepto porque no ha sido probada, evaluada y contrastada hasta el final puede resultar fatal para el éxito del producto.

A invenção precisa ser testada por uma grande população de pessoas PcD antes de ser liberada ao público em geral, e garantindo a melhoria continua do sistema através do feedback.

Agreed. Commercialization be realistic not Too Good to be True ….Consumer Trust, Branding play a vital role for long lasting business otherwise; like Acne Treatment ProActive…. gone with wind….

This is the tuning stage, where necessary modifications should be made based on feedback from the client and their usage environment. They are like the last 100 meters of a marathon.

Validação em campo, com o seu potencial cliente é fundamental. Sair da zona de conforto e aplicar com que de fato vai usufruir do seu produto te ensina muito.

Durante el desarrollo es importante que los usuarios para los que esta destinado el proyecto prueben y evalúen prototipos adaptados a su entorno.De está manera se evitarán fallos detectados al finalizar.

En concordancia por lo expresado por algunos y algunas participantes, en el caso de tecnologías con impacto social es necesario contar con una retroalimentación permanente para evitar llegar a resultados distantes de las expectátivas sociales.

El principal objetivo de una invención orientada a mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas con discapacidad debe ser esta mejora, por encima del coste. Por ello es importante que investigues y busques qué ayudas existen para dichos proyectos, que ayuden a financiar el desarrollo y promuevan que logremos el éxito del proyecto. Cuando logres tener un producto exitoso, que cumple con su cometido, verás que el valor está muy por encima del coste y que el negocio se moverá por sí mismo.

1. Flexible funds first. 2. Right target , right feedback and reviews from the concerned segment. 3. Flexible management with brains to really serve the needy. 4. Aim to serve to be intact, not to commercialize later. 5. Should RECAH intend the community via social services or govt segment services. 6. Collect working feedback to improvise on the development made already. 7. Release and replace newer versions to fit all recipients. 8. Bless of God, community less.

To ensure an invention is user-friendly for people with disabilities, engage in inclusive design by involving users in the development process. Conduct usability testing with individuals representing diverse disabilities. Consider universal design principles, like clear and simple interfaces. For instance, touchscreen devices can incorporate haptic feedback for visually impaired users. Prioritize accessibility features, such as adjustable font sizes and voice command options. Unconventionally, encourage collaboration with disability advocacy groups for valuable insights. Additionally, create a multidisciplinary team that includes individuals with disabilities, fostering a deeper understanding of diverse needs.

Estoy sorprendido... la AI como herramienta impresiona ser el modelo se uso presente y futuro, pudiendo en forma inmediata, variada sobre temas de desarrollo que sólo hay que esperar que un grupo de personas algunas con más cualidades que otras dejen sus opiniones y comentarios para poder absorver la información y a partir de ese punto generar proyectos sociales para mejoras de calidad de vida, solo resta conocer las fuentes de financiamiento y quienes a partir de opiniones gratis se benefician económicamente de dichos proyectos... todo esto puede hacer un mundo con mayores desigualdades o un mundo que todos podamos disfrutar de la AI globalizada.