EU accessibility boosted by €3m project

The EC is ploughing €3m into a new technology project that will aim to use technology to improve the lives of elderly and disabled people by making them more independent.

Brunel University will head up the Diadem (Delivering inclusive access for disabled and elderly members of the community) project, which starts today, by focusing on new technology to help individuals fill out forms.

The 'Expert System' will analyse how elderly and disabled people interact with forms and then adapt them to suit the individual's needs.

The software, which will sit on a user's PC, will be tested in three cities - Oslo, Sheffield and Turin - to develop a final version. The pilot in Sheffield will see guinea pigs using the system to access council services.

Recently, two major charities called on the industry to improve technology for disabled people, saying it remains both too expensive and too difficult to access for elderly and disabled users.