Internet, almost no interface
The Question Box provides Internet-based information through a live agent. The user just presses a button on the box, which connects via intercom to the computer-equipped agent, who may be in another town. The user asks a question, the agent does a search, and reads back the result. Designed for communities without computers or connectivity, the Question Box certainly has a forgiving, low-demand interface.
Question Box: the Internet for remote places, no literacy or keyboards required - Boing Boing
When poor design is very good design
Interesting article that covers an aspect of universal design we don’t usually discuss: developing products specifically for people in the most impoverished areas of the world. On the other hand, there is a proven correlation between rates of poverty and disability, and several of the designs mentioned–foot-operated water pumps, text-free training devices–would be right at home in AOMS any ol’ day.
Sticks and phones can break my bones?
We’ve seen mobile phones blamed for many things, some of which may even be true. And this blog tries to keep its attention on technology-improving-access rather than technology-causing-disability. But it’s causal Friday.
It seems that in some parts of Africa, cell phones are spreading faster than the network can keep up. This means that there are places where signals are so weak that you have to climb a tree to place a call. And if there are more tree climbers, there are more out-of-tree experiences. Thus the epidemic of broken bones, especially among elders.