Evaluation tools
Overview | Cap. simulators (3) | Expert appraisal | User involvement (3) | Cap. assessment | Exclusion audit (2)
Capability simulators
Introduction | Physical simulators | Software simulators
During physical simulation of capability loss, the person assessing the product wears items to “reproduce” the effects of different types and levels of motor and sensory impairments.
Simple simulators can be created from everyday products that reduce freedom of movement in key parts of the body, such as gloves or sports braces. Spectacles smeared with grease can also be used to simulate decreases in vision capability. Alternatively, organisations such as Visual Impairment North East supply glasses representing different eye conditions.
Current research within Cambridge University is aiming to use special glasses that model vision impairment, together with devices that can be worn to limit finger motion and elbow extension. Future research will attempt to link the capability levels encountered while wearing the simulators, to the number of people with that capability level.
Simple vision simulators can be created using glasses with grease, while Cambridge University have developed a glove that simulates dexterity impairment
A phone viewed with no impairment simulated, and the same phone viewed through glasses that simulate vision impairment
Overview | Cap. simulators (3) | Expert appraisal | User involvement (3) | Cap. assessment | Exclusion audit (2)