New mounting devices under development were tested to determine how easy it was to discover, with no instructions, how to operate the mount and set it up for a consumer with a disability. The new mounting device includes a feature whereby the mount will lock in a specific position according to an individual’s needs. Assistive technology specialists, those expected to set up assistive devices for their clients, were recruited for usability tests at a stage in which two different lock-setting interfaces and consumer controls had been developed and incorporated into working prototypes. Three configurations were tested to compare the usability of the interfaces. Statistical analyses found significant differences between the lock-setting interfaces in ease of operation and ease of setting the lock. The findings influenced changes in the design to improve the usability for those setting up the mount.
mounting device, usability, ease of use, outcomes
Funding support was provided by the National Institutes on Disability and Rehabilitation Research SBIR Program and by the National Institutes of Health, NICHD SBIR Program, Grant 2R44HD051157-02
Dianne M. Goodwin, MEBME, ATP
Blue Sky Designs, Inc., 2637 27th Ave S, Suite 209, Minneapolis, MN 55406
(612) 724-7002, (612) 724-7004 (fax), dianne@blueskydesigns.us
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