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Accessibility, usability and universal design—positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships
Abstract
PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to position, define and discuss three concepts crucial for research and practice concerning person-environment relationships, viz. accessibility, usability and universal design. METHODS: Literature review, synthesized with the authors' research and practice experiences. RESULTS: The authors suggest an instrumental, three-step definition to accessibility, highlighting that accessibility comprises a personal as well as a environmental component, and that accessibility must be analysed by an integration of both. Suggesting the introduction of an activity component, accessibility should partly be replaced by the more complex term usability. Universal design is highlighted as a more process-oriented but less stigmatizing concept. CONCLUSION: This paper contributes to the positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships. The definitions suggested challenge current terminology, but can support in developing more efficient research and practice strategies. In order to develop theory for application to societal planning issues, the definition of concepts is a necessary step.
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Cited by
Wahl, H.-W., Fange, A., Oswald, F., Gitlin, L. N., & Iwarsson, S. (2009) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnp056 · Cited by 315
Usability, user experience and accessibility: towards an integrative model
Sauer, J., Sonderegger, A., & Schmutz, S. (2020) · Ergonomics · doi:10.1080/00140139.2020.1774080 · Cited by 195
Simblett, S., Matcham, F., Siddi, S., Bulgari, V., Barattieri di San Pietro, C., Hortas López, J., Ferrão, J., Polhemus, A., Haro, J. M., de Girolamo, G., et al. (2019) · JMIR mHealth and uHealth · doi:10.2196/11325 · Cited by 120
“In addition to convenience and usability, previous literature has advocated the development of resources that are accessible or equally available to all users (eg, “universal design”) [21], and this work has reiterated the need for such development with respect to depression-specific symptoms.”
BackgroundIwarsson, S., Horstmann, V., Carlsson, G., Oswald, F., & Wahl, H.-W. (2009) · Clinical Rehabilitation · doi:10.1177/0269215508101740 · Cited by 94
Self-citation“It’s like a ramp for a person in a wheelchair”: workplace accessibility for employees with autism
Waisman-Nitzan, M., Gal, E., & Schreuer, N. (2021) · Research in Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2021.103959 · Cited by 84
Metadata
- Authors
- IWARSSON, S., & STÅHL, A.
- Venue
- Disability and Rehabilitation
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 25
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 57-66
- ISSN
- 0963-8288 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-5165
- OpenAlex
- W1985706759
- Cited by
- 724
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 44.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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- IWARSSON, S., & STÅHL, A. (2003). Accessibility, usability and universal design—positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships. Disability and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/dre.25.2.57.66
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
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