Accessibility and Usability of Self-Service Terminals, Technologies and Systems
This special thematic session invites contributions on the accessibility and usability of self-service terminals or technologies (SSTs) and related devices and the systems in which they are embedded. SSTs refer to computer-enabled devices featuring specialized hardware and software, often designed for “walk up and use” with a bare minimum of prior training. They provide access to information and applications for a range of activities including communication, commerce, leisure, education, healthcare and government services. SSTs are now found in many application domains and services including:
- financial services via automatic teller machines (ATMs), chip and pin payment terminals and online banking security devices
- travel services via ticket vending machines (TVMs), ticket validating machines and self-service check-in kiosks at airports and hotels
- retail goods and services via vending machines, self-service petrol pumps and self-service checkouts at supermarkets
- access to information such as government services, postal services, wayfinding in hospitals or shopping centres and information about cultural heritage (in museums, etc.), wellness and health information in public kiosks
- access to services in healthcare (hospitals and health centres) and workplace settings (employee self-services, etc.
Other terms for SSTs and related devices include: cash point machines, digital kiosks, digital order stations, electronic point of sale (POS) machines, interactive kiosks, internet kiosks, public digital terminals (PDTs) and self-service kiosks.
These systems are proliferating rapidly and providing access to more and more goods and services. They are often designed to be of benefit to people who are marginalised, and unable to use mainstream services, such as prisoners, homeless people, the unbanked and the underbanked or vulnerable populations who cannot or prefer not to use human-mediated services.
While the benefits of SSTs have been welcomed by organizations that deploy such technologies, the acceptance by users is more varied. For some people the disadvantages outweigh the advantages: the convenience of the availability of the services undermined by exasperation and frustration of using the services.
For other users, particularly older and disabled individuals, the systems are simply not accessible. Such users are therefore excluded from the potential benefit of the goods and services on offer SSTs. Indeed, the forthcoming European Accessibility Act specifically mentions “ATMs, ticketing and check-in machines”. These were identified as presenting barriers to goods and services for many European citizens. The new Act will require that these are now designed to be accessible and usable by all.
This Special Thematic Session (STS) invites contributions on all aspects of the accessibility and usability of SSTs, including:
- the value chain for accessibility of SSTs
- accessibility issues with SSTs, and any solutions to these issues
- new paradigms of interaction with SSTs via emerging technologies and devices (e.g. near field communication (NFC), QR codes, mobile phones, robotic devices and technologies )
- guidelines for manufacturers or deployers to ensure accessibility of SSTs
- successful case studies in development or deployment of accessible SSTs
Contributions to the STS have to be submitted using the standard submission procedures of ICCHP.
Helen Petrie, Human Computer Interaction Research Group, Department of Computer Science, University of York
Jenny Darzentas, Department of Product and System Design, University of the Aegean
Contributions to a STS have to be submitted using the standard submission procedures of ICCHP.
When submitting your contribution please make sure to select the right STS under the category "STS/Session".
Contributions to a STS are evaluated by the Programme Committee of ICCHP and by the chair(s) of the STS.
Please get in contact with the STS chairs for discussing your involvement and pre-evaluation of your contribution.
Submission Deadline for Contributions to STSs: February 1, 2018