Digital Outcasts
Moving Technology Forward without Leaving People Behind
Published on 21. May 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-0-12-404705-1 (ISBN)
Description
The blind person who tries to make an online purchase. The young girl who cannot speak due to a cognitive disability. The man confined to his home due to permanent injury. The single mother with a long-term illness who struggles to feed her family.With one in seven people worldwide currently living with a disability, the term "outcast" covers numerous scenarios. Digital outcasts rely on technology for everyday services that many people take for granted. However, poorly designed products risk alienating this important (and growing) population.Through a "grass roots" approach to innovation, digital outcasts are gradually taking action to transform their lives and communities. This emerging trend provides exciting learning opportunities for all of us.Citing real-world case studies from healthcare to social science, this book examines the emerging legal and cultural impact of inclusive design.
Reviews / Votes
"The intended reader is anyone attempting to either create more accessible technology for use by the disabled, or has an interest in novel ways that things like virtual reality, computer games, and assistive devices can be used in medicine to treat a variety of disabilities and assist in patient rehabilitation. The book concludes with a series of chapters on socially and environmentally responsible design and thinking ahead to the future in which digital devices will become ever more integrated into daily life and even the human body itself." --Reference & Research Book News, December 2013"Kel Smith makes a significant contribution to the subject of user experience in this easily read but important treatise... the book makes a compelling case for universal design, a concept far more expansive than the more common notion of handicapped-accessible technology...The information here will be challenging and profitable, not only for designers but also for anyone associated with advancing computer technology." --ComputingReviews.com, November 13, 2013
"The book provides a detailed overview of how people with disabilities use technology. More importantly, it shows that creating effective user interfaces for those with disabilities is beneficial for all users...Smith writes that for accessibility to work, it has to be an enterprise initiative. He provides 8 strategic steps to doing that...This book is an important read for everyone." --Slashdot.org, November 25, 2013
"This is a wise book that accepts that disability, like ability, is abounding with nuances and variation, and Smith admits that it is behaviour that has to be focused upon rather than any device...Smith draws this excellent book to a close with the ethics surrounding the technology, along with current and future developments..." --BCS online, November 2013
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
San Francisco
United States
Publishing group
Elsevier Science & Technology
Target group
Professional and scholarly
UX professionals (UX designers, usability engineers, usability architects, usability researchers, UX managers)
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
Illustrated
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 189 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
502 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-12-404705-1 (9780124047051)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions
Book
05/2026
2nd Edition
Morgan Kaufmann
€64.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Kel Smith is a speaker, author, instructor, and practitioner with 20+ years' experience in the design and technology sectors. His articles have appeared in SAGE World Future Review, Universal Access in the Information Society, International Journal of E-Politics, UX Magazine, and The Practical Lawyer, among others.
He launched Aisle Won, a nutrition support app that connects low-income populations with sources of accessible and affordable locally grown food. Smith regularly presents on digital accessibility and social innovation, including for the Centre for Health Literacy, the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the Art Institute of Chicago, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, and Stanford University, and has featured on CBC Radio and the BBC.
He sits on the board of Inglis Foundation, the Philadelphia region's largest provider of accessible health services, and served as Vice Chair of the Philadelphia chapter of ACM/SIG-CHI. He is an adjunct lecturer at Rutgers University, teaching courses on digital design and the social impact of inclusive innovation.
He launched Aisle Won, a nutrition support app that connects low-income populations with sources of accessible and affordable locally grown food. Smith regularly presents on digital accessibility and social innovation, including for the Centre for Health Literacy, the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the Art Institute of Chicago, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, and Stanford University, and has featured on CBC Radio and the BBC.
He sits on the board of Inglis Foundation, the Philadelphia region's largest provider of accessible health services, and served as Vice Chair of the Philadelphia chapter of ACM/SIG-CHI. He is an adjunct lecturer at Rutgers University, teaching courses on digital design and the social impact of inclusive innovation.
Content
Introduction 1. Who Are Digital Outcasts? 2. Interpreting Ability 3. Defining Innovation 4. Why Accessibility Alone Doesn't Matter 5. Playing for Health 6. Universal Life: Rise, Fall and Rise of Virtual Worlds 7. New Frontiers in Technology 8. Designing for the Digital Outcast Appendices Index Acknowledgements Credits