Credits: 4. Grading scale: TH. Optional for: D4, E4, F4, M4. Course coordinator: Håkan Eftring, PhD, Centrum f rehabiliteringsteknik (Certec). Assessment: Class assignments as well as a written take-home test. The test will be made available at the beginning of the course. Written and oral project presentation. Active and constructive participation in Internet-based discussion groups is considered in grading. Homepage: http://www.certec.lth.se/ak/.

Aim
The aim of the course is for students to:

• gain a positive attitude towards taking an individual's needs and abilities into consideration in product development.

• be able to start analysing everyday situations in order to see the problems they can create for people with different disabilities.

• gain increased knowledge and understanding of different disabilities and technical aids.

• gain insight into the importance of user interface in product usability.

• practice analysing and improving a product's user interface.

• apply their technical knowledge from an engineering point of view.

Contents
The course deals with the possibilities that technology offers people with the following disabilities:

• cognitive impairments in relation to mental retardation, brain injury, autism and dyslexia, for example.

• visual impairments

• physical impairments

• hearing impairments

The amount of scheduled classroom instruction is small and consists primarily of participation in discussions with the lecturers, some of whom are disabled. Students are required to turn in group and individual assignments every week, which structures course participation. Discussions and lab exercises are carried out over the Internet.

Literature
Internet lectures with certain compulsory links and additional texts.