Whitney Quesenbery chaired a panel at at a joint ITU and G3ICT Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. The forum, The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities for ICT Standards. The panel on “Human Interfaces; design for accessible ICTs” looked at recent evolution of accessibility features and standards, standards … Continue reading
As part of the public review of the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidelines (VVSG), the EAC held a series of public roundtable discussions and public hearings. Usability in Civic Life leaders were invited to the Usability and Accessibility Roundtable on March 27, 2008, and the Public Meeting on April 16, 2008. … Continue reading
Dear Senator Akaka and Congressman Braley, The Usability Professionals’ Association supports efforts to encourage easier access to government by all citizens. One way to achieve this is through greater use of plain language in all government communications. We commend you for introducing H.R. 3548 and S.2291 The Plain Language in Government … Continue reading
As part of its member advocacy efforts, the Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA) works with various governmental, quasi-governmental, and private coalition groups to present the viewpoints of the profession and to educate those groups on the usefulness of the profession. We are happy to inform you that the latest product of … Continue reading
Affirmed as the fourth person on a committee that bridges the connection between government and voters, Mayor Gavin Newsom’s appointment of long-time Usability Professionals’ Association member Dana Chisnell to the San Francisco Ballot Simplification Committee rounds out a group of communication professionals who work as volunteers to provide unbiased, objective … Continue reading
Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform The Honorable Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker III: I am writing on behalf of Design for Democracy, a non-profit organization affiliated with AIGA, the professional association for design, and the Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA). This strategic program works with election officials at the … Continue reading
Representative Candice Miller House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs The Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA) wishes to express its support for plain language, and the concepts in the Plain Language Act of 2006 [HR 4809] The UPA was founded in 1991 by people working to improve the design of technology: software, services, and … Continue reading
March 4, 2005 Comment on notice of Proposed Rulemaking: 14 CFR Part 382: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in Air Travel; Proposed Rule The Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA) is an international organization of practitioners in the field of usability and accessibility. Members work in industry, academic institutions and government … Continue reading
Usability problems do happen, and they do affect elections. The following media reports of problems with elections are usability issues. They may be problems for voters, or for voting officials wrestling with new procedures or equipment.
Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA) President Whitney Quesenbery has been appointed to the United States Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) Technical Guidelines Development Committee. This group will draft new standards for voting systems used in the United States. “I’m pleased to see usability included in these guidelines,” Quesenbery said. “Too often, a … Continue reading
At the UPA 2004 conference, Louise Ferguson, Bill Killam, Sharon Laskowski, and Josephine Scott participated in a panel, moderated by Whitney Quesenbery. The title was “Can Usability Save Democracy?” Voting Equipment in America: Observations from the Field – Bill Killam Standards and Testing for Usability and Accessibility – Sharon Laskowski International … Continue reading
The Usability Professionals’ Association (UPA), a society of professionals dedicated to making software and other products easier for people to use, announced today that it supports the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ consideration of the effectiveness of the voting experience in its decision to delay the gubernatorial recall election … Continue reading
