Digital Outcasts

The blind person attempting to make an online purchase. The young girl who cannot speak due to a cognitive disability. The man confined to his home due to permanent injury. The single mother with a long-term illness who struggles to feed her family. The neurodivergent jobseeker trying to launch their career. Digital access to employment, education, healthcare, companionship and security are essential in today’s world. With one in six people worldwide currently living with some form of a disability, the term "outcast" covers a wide continuum of critical life impacts. As the number of people with disabilities increases, poorly designed products and services risk alienating this important and growing population. “Digital outcasts” is a term used to describe those left behind the technological curve, due either to a lack of accessibility or the social, economic, and political attributes often associated with disability. Through a grass roots approach to innovation, however, digital outcasts are taking action to transform their lives, homes, and communities. The legacy of human-computer interaction is scaffolded upon the efforts of the disenfranchised user, evinced by the role disability has historically played as a catalyst for design innovation. Citing real-world case studies spanning law, healthcare, creative arts, and social science, Digital Outcasts 2e examines the emergent cultural impact of inclusive design on today’s industrial landscape. Taking into account new legal and technological perspectives, this revision stands as an update on the progress we’ve made—and how far we’ve yet to go.