Call for papers CUU 2003 We invite submissions (due May 12, 2003) for the second ACM Conference on Universal Usability, to be held in Vancouver, BC, Canada, November 10 - 11, 2003. We seek work in any area whose aim is to enable the widest range of users to successfully use technology for information, communications, entertainment, education, e-commerce, civic systems and government services . Challenges include the diversity of users (experts and novices, old and young, educated and illiterate, disabled, forgotten, those in ill health, etc.); the wide range of technology (e.g.; 100 to 1 ratios in processor and network speeds), and the gap between what users know and what they need to know. We are interested in research, new systems and technologies, empirical evaluations of systems, policy suggestions, and systems that support community activities. A diverse set of participants is expected including technologists, policy makers, advocates, users, and researchers. Topics Specific topics include (but are not limited to) the following. Solutions to address the politics, policies, and economics of universal usability and evaluations of those solutions: · New pricing schemes and new services · Methods of measuring intellectual capital and the value of diverse access · Ethical considerations and design trade-offs involved with universal usability · Methods for helping communities with special needs articulate and share those needs and/or create their own solutions · Economic benefits of universal usability · Social benefits of universal usability Solutions to accommodate variations in hardware, software and network access as well as empirical evaluations of these systems: · Middleware translation systems to support various display and input devices among versions and formats · Designs for modular software and hardware components that interconnect reliably · Standards and protocols that address these variations Proposed solutions to accommodate users who differ in attributes such as skill, knowledge, age, gender, disability, literacy, language, culture and income together with the evaluation of such solutions: · Methods for users to adapt and personalize systems according to their expertise, reading level, learning style, etc · Methods to accommodate environmental and social variations · Software management tools to support multiple versions in multiple languages · Improved customer service, on-line help, and on-line training Solution processes for better understanding users, contexts and tasks: · Design for Dynamic Diversity · User Sensitive Inclusive Design · Ethnographic observations to capture diversity · Participatory design · Social impact statements · Usability tests with stratified user groups · Ensuring diversity in heuristic evaluations · Globalization and localization processes · Lifecycle design issues or methods for addressing universal usability Contributions which present applied and tested developments will be given preference over more speculative ideas and plans for future work. Presentation Formats Just as there is a broad range of possible approaches to universal usability, we also seek contributions in a variety of presentation formats including formal papers, panels, and poster sessions. 1) Papers. We solicit original, concise, and insightful papers of work based on providing real solutions, partial solutions or lessons learned from failures, which can be of benefit to the field. Papers should include a description of the context of use, the user(s) involved in the solution, a description of the attempted solution, a description of the impact, and lessons learned. Papers should be at most eight ACM conference pages (about 4000 words). The conference format specifications and templates can be found at: http://www.acm.org/sigchi/chipubform/. 2) Panels. Proposals for panels that synthesize and orient work in the area, especially across disciplinary boundaries, are encouraged. Panel proposals should define an issue; list proposed panel members, their backgrounds, and their basic positions. Panel proposals should be two pages long. Panels should provide for interaction among members and with the audience and should not consist of a series of independent mini-papers. 3) Posters. In some cases, a more appropriate means of describing your work may be in an informal, interactive setting. Proposals for Interactive Posters should include a two-page description of the work and one page that shows the general outline of the poster. Submissions All accepted submissions will be included in a (paper) proceedings as well as presented at the conference. In addition, selected papers will be considered for special issues of The Information Society (social aspects) and Interacting with Computers (design oriented). Papers will be accepted in electronic format only. Instructions for submission can be found on the conference web site: http://www.acm.org/sigs/sigchi/cuu2003/. Closing date for submissions will be May 12 2003. Program Chairs Dr Alistair Edwards The University of York [log in to unmask] Dr Mary Zajicek Oxford Brookes University [log in to unmask]