Inclusive Design Institute

Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD University), Toronto, Ontario
What the facility does

Advancing the inclusive design of emerging technology systems and practices, to enable the participation of the full diversity of users with respect to ability, language, age, gender, culture and other forms of human difference.

Areas of expertise

The Inclusive Design Institute is a global nexus of collaborating multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary researchers and co-designers. We proactively ensure that emerging technology systems and practices are designed to include the full range of human diversity, and capitalize on emerging technologies, networks and connectivity to address barriers to inclusion and to advance human capacity.

Research services

User experience design, human computer interface design, small and thick or personalized data analytics, open data analytics, rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing, usability and accessibility testing, policy design and metrics, alternative computer access systems, accessible mobile design, and accessible software architectures.

Sectors of application
  • Arts and cultural industries
  • Consumer durables
  • Consumer non-durables
  • Education
  • Financial services and insurance
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Information and communication technologies and media
  • Management and business related services
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Policy and governance
  • Professional and technical services (including legal services, architecture, engineering)
  • Tourism and hospitality
  • Transportation

Specialized lab

Equipment

Function

Usability and Accessibility Assessment Facility

Range of assistive technologies and usability capture equipment including equipment for remote review and capture

Infrastructure to enable the assessment of software applications, web sites, mobile apps and other technology products to determine the accessibility of these products for users with disabilities or alternative access needs.

Cloud service to match inclusive design demand with optimal supply

Cloud server, with multiple entry points for a range of stakeholders, and a large range of cloud services

Cloud service enables a) users to discover, declare, review, and refine design preferences, b) pooling and sharing of resources, design and development tools and software components, c) matching demands with supply, and d) aggregates reviews to inform policy and design.

Sensory Mode Translation and Media Access Facility

Captioning, description, remote translation equipment

Supports the translation of audio to captions and sign language, visual information to audio, haptic, tactile and text description and multi-lingual translation. (Both post-production and real time, remote and on-site, professional and crowdsourced.)

Participatory Inclusive Design Lab

Inclusively designed distributed collaboration tools, including application sharing

Supports remote collaboration through a variety of collaboration tools that function at diverse bandwidths and client devices.

  • University of Toronto
  • Ryerson University
  • York University
  • University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Ontario Tech University)
  • Sheridan College
  • George Brown College
  • Seneca College
  • Raising the Floor International
  • Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education
  • TRACE Research and Development Center University of Wisconsin
  • University of Wisconsin
  • Museum of the Moving Image
  • University of Girona
  • University College Dublin

Title

URL

Inclusive Design Research Centre

https://idrc.ocadu.ca

We Count

https://wecount.inclusivedesign.ca