In this article, a new open source software framework,the Accessibility and Cognitive Competence Extended Support System (ACCESS) is described. With this framework, user interactions with a system can be analyzed, corrected, or supported by small, conceptually simple plug-ins. A total of five plug-ins were deployed for the empirical studies discussed in this article. These studies focused on the tool within the context of older adults, although it is anticipated that the framework will have applicability within any demographic group where accessibility support is required and computer expertise cannot be assumed.
The research attempted to address three key issues that are problematic for novice users with accessibility and cognitive support needs—that such users or those supporting them often do not know what facilities are available within their operating system, they often do not know how to enable these facilities if they do, and they often lack the confidence to make the changes that they know how to make (Hawthorn, 2003; Trewin,2000).