The recently kicked-off VERITAS project ('Virtual and Augmented Environments and Realistic User Interactions To achieve Embedded Accessibility DesignS') published its first press release on 10 March 2010.   

VERITAS is an integrated project (IP) within the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme (FP7) Theme 'Accessible and Assistive Information and Communication Technologies'.The €12 million accessibility research and development effort brings together 32 European companies and organisations from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

VERITAS aims to develop, validate and assess tools for built-in accessibility support at all stages of ICT and non-ICT product development, including specification, design, development and testing. Motivated by the clear lack of systematic accessibility assessment frameworks and the need to involve real disabled users, the goal of VERITAS is to introduce simulation-based and virtual reality testing, utilising virtual users, at all stages of assistive technologies product design and development into the automotive, smart living spaces, buildings and construction, domotics, workplace, eHealth and infotainment applications areas.

The project aims to ensure that future products and services are being systematically designed for all people including those with disabilities and functional limitations as well as older people. Furthermore, VERITAS plans to promote its results to the appropriate standards organisations for consideration and potential adoption and also to make them available through an open framework.

The effort will involve research and prototypes that address a broad range of impairments related to vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive resources, as well as the needs of older people (independent and dependent).

The VERITAS project started on 1 January 2010 for a two years duration. It is supported by a distinguished scientific advisory board comprised of worldwide leaders in the field of design and accessibility.

"Accessibility should be deeply embedded from the very beginning, that is, in the design concept of products" says Dr. Dimitris Tzovaras, VERITAS Technical Coordinator and Research Director at the Greek Centre for Research and Technology. "The VERITAS project aims to establish this new paradigm for design at all stages of assistive technologies product design and development into the automotive, smart living spaces, (buildings & construction, domotics), workplace, eHealth and infotainment applications areas".

"Designing accessible products means a better design for all of us. In particular disabled people and the aging part of our society will benefit from our innovations in the engineering process" says Dr. Manfred Dangelmaier, the co-ordinator of VERITAS and director of the Business Area Engineering Systems at Fraunhofer IAO. "Using VERITAS results will enable designers and engineers to make most products better usable for everybody."

Further Information:

• Original press release - VERITAS project
• VERITAS project