1. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
Workshop on "Using the cloud to
automatically personalize interfaces and
materials for those facing difficulties due
to disability, literacy or aging: the future of
social clouds and inclusive infrastructures"
delivered by
Professor Gregg C. Vanderheiden
October 5th, 2010
CONCLUSIONS
produced by
Dr. José Angel Martínez Usero
INREDIS Project – MANAGEMENT OFFICE
C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
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2. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
The GPII concept
Global Public Inclusive Infrastructure (GPII) is a coalition of academic,
industry and non-governmental organizations and individuals coming
together to promote the creation of National Public Inclusive
Infrastructures (NPIIs) – on the way to building a Global Public Inclusive
Infrastructure (GPII).
The main purpose
The purpose is to ensure that everyone who faces accessibility barriers
due to disability, literacy or aging, regardless of economic resources, can
access and use the Internet and all its information, communities, and
services for education, employment, daily living, civic participation, health
and safety.
What GPII is
GPII is a paradigm shift. The GPII will, for the first time, introduced
automatic personalization of user interfaces and user context adaptation
based on user preferences. Essentially the ability to have each computing
or communication device instantly change to fit users as they encounter
the device rather than requiring users to figure out how to adapt,
configure or install access features they need. It also introduces a system
of shared components and services to reduce cost, increase
interoperability, and foster innovation.
What GPII is not
The GPII would not create new access technologies or services, but
would create the infrastructure for making their development,
identification, delivery and use easier, less expensive and more effective.
Like building a road system does not provide transportation but greatly
enhances the ability of car companies and others to do so -- and provides
an infrastructure that car companies themselves cannot do.
INREDIS Project – MANAGEMENT OFFICE
C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
Tl. 00 34 91 121 03 30

3. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
The unprecedented opportunity
We have an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally change and
advance accessibility -
1. to create an infrastructure that supports both commercial and public
efforts,
2. to build access that will work with the new technologies that are
coming (that won't work with many of our current access strategies)
3. and finally, to build something that can be replicated locally in other
countries.
GPII is a global matter
GPII is an international initiative to create an open floor where
everybody interested can participate according to their interests and
abilities. A collaborative effort to create a global infrastructure capable of
promoting and faciliatating commercial and built-in accessibility features
and services that are more affordable and available in all countries for all
disabilities.
The opportunity at EU and national level
At EU level, it is very important to integrate the research efforts of the EU
research projects with the other GPII efforts internationally in order to
avoid redundancy, and take advantage of the collective resources and
talents from diffrerent countries to create an interoperable and more
affordable European (and Global) Public Inclusive Infrastructure.
Once the GPII infrastructure technologies and implementation roadmaps
are developed, each Member State of the EU can develop its own National
Public Inclusive Infrastructure based on the policies and programs in its
country, and using the technologies of the GPII to reduce costs and
maintain compatibility with the NPIIs of other countries.
In the case of Spain, Technosite is leading the process of creating such a
“social cloud” and raising the public and private funds needed to build the
Spanish NPII, always in coordination with GPII, and based on existing and
forthcoming EU projects, pilots and thematic networks.
Such international coordination is essential to ensure that inclusive cloud
technologies from different countries remain compatilble and countries can
all draw from and benefit from the developments of others.
INREDIS Project – MANAGEMENT OFFICE
C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
Tl. 00 34 91 121 03 30

4. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
“Defragmentation” of the European AT market
GPII could help reduce the present fragmentation of the European AT
market, offering new business opportunities for small AT commpanies to
market and deliver their products internationally, and reduce the time and
costs to bring new ideas to a broader market. The GPII can provide
marketing and market awareness that small actors cannot carry generate
themselve and leading to a broader and more open marketplace for all
vendors.
The GPII key players
The obvious key players are mainstream technology producers and AT
manufacturers. Nevertheless GPII will foster new market players with new
business opportunities (such as, translators, training and support services,
resellers, consultancy companies, etc.). In the following graph some new
key players have been identified.
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C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
Tl. 00 34 91 121 03 30

5. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
In the context of training and support services for final users different
models can coexist, basically the traditional service provider support, the
new peer support provided by the community and new actors as
intermediary companies providing training and support services for NPIIs.
The components of GPII/NPIIs
All of the NPII components and systems will be designed to support both
commercial assistive technologies and built-in access features (universal
design). The NPII would include a delivery system, personalization
profiles, a system to automatically configure devices to meet user needs,
and a rich development system with common modules. It will also include
the robust awareness program needed to ensure that those who need
special adaptations are aware that they exist and how to find them.
The development of the infrastructure
The software developed under NPII funding will be infrastructure and tools
only. NPII/GPII funds will not be used to create end solutions or compete
with industry developing, selling and supporting end user solutions. All
infrastructure and tools will be “open source” to foster innovation, but
licensed such that they can be built into proprietary products for
commercial explotation.
Security issues in GPII
There are several security issues that must be taken into account when
developing the infrastruture. The most sensitive information is that
regarding personal preference information. Even though it will be codified
as information regarding “personal needs and preferences”, skipping the
disability aspects and extending the concept to needs and preferences of
each user, it could still be used to infer disability realted information if not
done properly. The security of the servers is also of paramount interest.
INREDIS Project – MANAGEMENT OFFICE
C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
Tl. 00 34 91 121 03 30

6. INterfaces for the RElationship between
people with DISabilities and the ICT environment
User needs and preferences
Users can declare, codify, keep and edit their needs and preferences
directly in the cloud or keep them locally only if they do not trust the
could. Everybody can have multiple preferences to account for differences
within a day as well as to accommodate temporary situations.
Useful resources
More information about NPII/GPII http://npii.org/
More information about Professor Gregg Vanderheiden
http://www.engr.wisc.edu/ie/faculty/vanderheiden_gregg.html
More information about INREDIS http://www.inredis.es/Default.aspx
Slides of the workshop http://www.slideshare.net/inredis/national-and-
global-public-inclusive-infrastructures
Video shown at INREDIS international workshop held by ONCE:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13132127/NPII_with_vid_des_HD_01.zip
INREDIS Project – MANAGEMENT OFFICE
C/ Albasanz, nº 16 – 3ª planta – B-1. 28037 – Madrid.
Tl. 00 34 91 121 03 30