Designing Effective Speech Interfaces

Accomplishing Universal Design

People with disabilities face the same usability issues as those without, and sometimes more. Whether we view them as issues of universal design or assistive technology, designing effective usable software requires following a good usability engineering process and paying attention to the principles of usable design. Employing speech input or output in an interface requires that a designer understand the users, their needs, their tasks, and their environment. In addition, an effective designer must understand the technology. Striving for a high level of usability will accomplish some, or even many, of the goals of universal design.

Specifically, designers must educate themselves on the principles, guidelines, and techniques of universal design. There are many resources available and information on universal design is increasingly available at trade shows, conferences, and professional development courses. Beyond employing these principles, guidelines, and techniques in design, it's critical that usability engineers test for universal design and accessibility. Evaluation is the key to assessing the level of a product's accessibility.

The Microsoft Windows Guidelines for Accessible Software Design (May 7, 1997, edition)

• Flexible, customizable user interfaces can accommodate the user's needs and preferences. For example, you should allow the user to choose font sizes, reduce visual complexity, and customize the arrangement of menus.
• Be compatible with ...