Universal Design for the Public Sector in Ireland………

Last Tuesday, the IIA ( Irish Internet Association ) staged a seminar in the Digital Hub in Dublin, entitled: Universal Design for citizens and the Public Sector. The seminar, run in conjunction with the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design provided a forum for public servants and the Irish web industry to discuss Universal Design and how it affects the procurement, design, development and maintenance of public websites.

Matrix Internet was delighted to be asked by the IIA to make a presentation on the topic of User Experience – UX for the Public Sector.

The speakers on the day were :

Donal Rice, Senior Design Advisor, Centre for Excellence in Universal Design
Niamh Buckley, Digital Communications Project Manager, DCENR
Beatrice Whelan, Global Content Manager, Sage
Jeff Sheridan, Matrix Internet
Tim Wynne, Digital Manager, Electric Ireland
Kerrill Thornhill, Maithu IT Solutions
David Berman, David Berman Communications

What is Universal Design?

The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design’s official definition is :
Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design. If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use everyone benefits. By considering the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates products, services and environments that meet peoples’ needs. Simply put, universal design is good design.

A Great Event

The seminar was run over a half-day session, with different segments including presentations and Q & A sessions. Donal Rice ( Centre for Excellence in Universal Design ) and Joan Mulvihill ( IIA ) were fantastic hosts on the day, setting the tone, driving the ship and keeping the energy high. The audience was enthusiastic and open-minded, leading to a very positive atmosphere on the day.

An internationally renowned authority on Design, David Berman rounded off the day with a thought-provoking presentation on Inclusive Design and managed to impress the local audience by signing off with a grammatically correct: Go Raibh Maith Agaibh. Maith an buachaill!

Here are some photos from the day :