23 August 2005

Accessible Design in the Digital World Conference

Over 80 delegates from around the world will be in Dundee to attend the first 'Accessible Design in the Digital World Conference', taking place at the Apex Hotel on 24-25 August 2005.

The conference is hosted by the Digital Media Access Group, based in the University of Dundee's Division of Applied Computing. It will focus on how technology such as web sites and software can be designed to be easily used by disabled and elderly people. With legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act increasingly seen as applying to electronic services such as e-commerce web sites, accessibility of technology has never been more important.

Web site, software and technology developers, researchers, policy makers, people involved in disability support and lawyers will come together to discuss the challenges of developing technology to enhance the lives of disabled people by making information, services and entertainment more accessible to them.

Conference keynote speakers are all leaders in their fields including:

Professor Helen Petrie, Professor of Human Computer Interaction at City University, London, who led an investigation into the level of accessibility of UK web sites to disabled surfers

Professor Alan F Newell, Division of Applied Computing, University of Dundee, a world-leading researcher into technology for disabled and older people.

Dr Vicki Hanson, Accessibility Manager at IBM's internationally renowned TJ Watson Research Center in New York.

Chris van der Kuyl, Chairman of Tayforth Consulting, and leading figure in the computer games industry.

For further information please contact the Press Office on 01382 344768

By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344768, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk