"Our perspective matters.": using universal design goals to guide technology design in the global south

AbstractTraditional approaches to accessible human-computer interaction focus on the needs and requirements of users in the Global North. While there has been some work on interaction accessibility for people in the Global South, these efforts usually focus on assistive technology rather than universal design. The work described here uses the goals of universal design, like cultural appropriateness, to understand the needs of diverse users in Kampala, Uganda, and Kigali, Rwanda. Preliminary results have revealed prominent absences of features related to physical mobility and hearing impairments. The subsequent phase of this work is to partner with local organizations to implement the resulting recommendations. Our goal is for these recommendations to inform new information technology and interactions designs that can support local stakeholders in their efforts to provide transportation services to people of all abilities.