According to Nathan Shedroff ( 1997), writing in a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences ( Biermann, 1997), a critical issue in design of information systems is

"how they address people from different backgrounds and culture since the next level of computer users (the next 100 million users) will not be as willing to change their approach to problems and their interaction with devices as the enthusiasts and professionals who comprise the present base of computer users. Issues of language, gesture, understanding, privacy, approach, civility, and "life" are not consistent throughout the world--and wonderfully so--and must be discovered and documented. (p. 10 )"

Physical disabilities are relatively uncommon in people under the age of about 50. When they do occur, the major effects tend to be ones that interfere with mobility, or make it very difficult. These students may have problems getting to class, especially during winter months. They may require a little extra time to move from class to class. Some, particularly people who have cerebral palsy, encounter problems in taking notes. At any given moment in time, very large numbers of Americans have temporary limitations--they may break a leg, for example. We define "temporary" as lasting six or fewer months. If you have students who sustain injuries during a course term, you may need to make short-term adaptations. These may include relocating the class, at least temporarily, to a ground-floor room or even to another, more accessible, building. You can also give students a little advice: Wheelchairs can be rented for as little as $5 a day. Scooters (battery-powered carts) are somewhat more expensive. Crutches are even less expensive; forearm crutches are a good choice, because they are easier to use than are full-length crutches and because they do not (as regular crutches do) cause underarm discomfort. Walkers are excellent mobility aids; although most people associate them with elderly residents of nursing homes, the fact is that walkers provide very good stability, easy maneuverability, and ready storage when not in use. Among others, Maddak (1-800-443-4926,  www.maddak.com  ), North Coast Medical (1800-821-9319,  www.ncmedical.com  ), and Sammons Preston (1-800-323-5547,  www.sammonspreston.com  ) have daily living aids, including some that assist in academic work (reading, writing, etc.).

Visual impairment, like hearing loss, is most frequent among older persons. We use the term "blindness" when people have vision that measures 20/200 or worse, or when their range of vision is sharply restricted; "low vision" refers to measured vision that is 20/70 at best to 20/200 at worst, or the range is limited but not as much as in the case of blindness. The major difficulty students who are blind or have low vision encounter in education is in reading assigned materials. They may also have problems taking notes, but most individuals who have lived with a vision impairment for some time have figured out effective ways of doing that.