Document

thumbnail of A Framework for Estimating Difficulty, User Cost and Exclusion from Everyday Tasks

Author
David Nery, John Clarkson & Alaster Yoxall
Abstract
Inclusive design research and practice seeks to make everyday tasks more accessible for everyone. Identifying Performance Shaping Factors and assessing their impact on performance is central to estimating difficulty, user cost and potential exclusion from everyday tasks. This paper provides an exploratory Hand Action Framework for examining the extent to which task demands, age and capability Performance Shaping Factors impact performance achieved, difficulty, user cost and task exclusion experienced. A study involving a sample of sixty participants undertaking a range of everyday tasks is provided. The results demonstrate the Hand Action Framework captured a range of hand actions used with Performance Shaping Factors of task demands, age, and capability having a significant impact on hand actions used, performance achieved and user cost experienced.