Experience engineering for accessible products

Designing products "for all" improves their accessibility. VERITAS, an EU-funded Integrated Project in theEuropean 7th Framework Programme with 32 partners from industry, research and user organisations developed an open simulation platform and an immersive (Virtual Reality) platform for this purpose and proved their usefulness for various products and disabilities. First person impairment experience tools were developed and applied in the automotive, construction, and smart living spaces domains. They were tested with designers using the Technology Assessment Model. The tools are well accepted and are effective in improving accessibility of products in all application domains. Tests in a productive real-life setting in the construction domain reveal high sensitivity among private housebuilders and construction professionals for accessibility issues and high perceived benefits and ease of use for visual impairment simulation.