PA G E 3 2 SIG A C C ESS NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 9 0 , JA N 2 0 0 8
Accessibility Research in Malaysia
Ha sni Ha ssa n
1, Na ze a n Jo mha ri
2, Sya riffa no r Hishya m
31Unive rsiti Da rul Im a n Ma la ysia , 2Unive rsiti Ma la ya , 3Unive rsiti Te knika l Ma la ysia Me la ka {Ha sni.Ha ssa n, Na ze a n.Jo m ha ri}@ p o stg ra d .m a nc he ste r.a c .uk, sya riffa @ c s.yo rk.a c .uk In re c e nt d a ys, the re is a te nd e nc y in Ma la ysia tha t m o re a nd m o re p e o p le a re inte re ste d the re se a rc h re g a rd ing the use o f c o m p uting a nd info rm a tio n te c hno lo g y b y the a g e ing
p o p ula tio n a nd p e o p le w ith d isa b ilitie s. Be lo w a re so m e e xa m p le s o f the se p ro je c ts.
Research on Older Adults and Computer Technology
The first b re a kthro ug h in the a re a o f G e ro nto lo g y is the e sta b lishm e nt o f the Institute o f G e ro nto lo g y (IG ) a t the Unive rsity Putra Ma la ysia o n 1 Ap ril 2002. Sinc e its inc e p tio n, va rio us re se a rc h a nd d e ve lo p m e nt a c tivitie s, b o th a t the na tio na l a nd inte rna tio na l le ve ls, ha ve b e e n c a rrie d o ut a t the institute . The institute ha s p a rtic ula rly b e e n suc c e ssful a t o b ta ining se ve ra l re se a rc h g ra nts fro m the Ministry o f Sc ie nc e , Te c hno lo g y a nd Inno va tio ns in the c a te g o rie s o f Prio ritize d Re se a rc h a nd Exp e rim e nta l a nd Ap p lie d Re se a rc h. At the inte rna tio na l le ve l, the institute re c e ive d sp o nso rship s fro m b o th the Unite d Na tio ns Po p ula tio n Fund (UNFPA) a nd the Unite d Na tio n’ s Wo rld He a lth O rg a niza tio n (WHO ). As a re sult o f the c o nfid e nc e sho w n b y the se o rg a niza tio ns, the Unive rsity ha s a p p ro ve d the a c q uisitio n o f a n a d d itio na l b lo c k fo r the institute to ho use tw o la b o ra to rie s, na m e ly, the Bio so c ia l, C o g nitive a nd Func tio na l La b o ra to ry a nd the G e ro nte c hno lo g y La b o ra to ry to e nsure a m o re syste m a tic a nd e ffic ie nt re se a rc h a c tivitie s a t the institute .
In a n e ffo rt to p ro d uc e q ua lity re se a rc h, the institute is a lso a c tive ly invo lve d in a va rie ty o f c o lla b o ra tio n w ith re se a rc he rs a nd a g e nc ie s fro m w ithin Unive rsity Putra Ma la ysia a nd o utsid e the unive rsity. In a d d itio n, the intro d uc tio n o f g ra d ua te p ro g ra m m e s (MSc a nd PhD) a t the institute is a no the r ste p to w a rd s p ro d uc ing a ne w g e ne ra tio n o f re se a rc he rs in the fie ld o f g e ro nto lo g y. The institute is a lso c urre ntly p la nning a p ub lic a tio n p ro g ra m m e to e nha nc e the c ha nne l o f c o m m unic a tio n to info rm o n the institute 's re se a rc h a c tivitie s a nd find ing s.
Am o ng the la te st re se a rc h p ro je c ts tha t ha ve b e e n g ra nte d fo r the Institute o f G e ro nto lo g y fo r the ye a r 2007 a re : Ac c e ss a nd Utiliza tio n o f C o m p ute rs a nd the Inte rne t a m o ng O ld e r
Ma la ysia n, Asse ssing Mo b ility a nd Be ha vio ra l Pa tte rns a nd Pe rc e p tio n o f Ne e d s a nd Ba rrie rs o f O ld e r Ro a d Use rs in Ma la ysia , De ve lo p m e nt o f G IS-b a se d Yo uth Ma p p ing , Tra ffic a nd Ag e ing in Ma la ysia , Pa tte rns o f So c ia l Re la tio nship s a nd Psyc ho lo g ic a l We ll Be ing a m o ng O ld e r
PA G E 3 3 SIG A C C ESS NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 9 0 , JA N 2 0 0 8 Sya riffa no r’ s re se a rc h w a s p a rtly insp ire d b y the initia tive c o nd uc te d b y the fo rm e r Ministry o f Na tio na l Unit a nd So c ia l De ve lo p m e nt in c o lla b o ra tio n with The Ma la ysia n Institute o f Mic ro e le c tro nic Syste m s (MIMO S) in 2003 w he re a o ne ye a r p ilo t stud y na m e ly Wa rg a Em a s Ne tw o rks a nd Ea g le Ne st ta rg e te d a t Ma la ysia n o ld e r a d ults w a s c o nd uc te d . This p ilo t stud y w a s a im e d a t p ro m o ting so c ie ta l inc lusio n a nd fre e la nc e e m p lo ym e nt w ith the use o f c o m p ute r a nd the Inte rne t a m o ng o ld e r p e o p le in Kua la Lum p ur, Se la ng o r a nd Ke la nta n. Po sitive re sults fro m this p ilo t stud y ha d initia te d m o re re se a rc h inte re sts w ith re g a rd s to Ma la ysia n o ld e r p e o p le a nd the ir inte ra c tio n w ith c o m p ute r.
Research on Computer-Mediated Grandparents-Grandchildren
Communication
Re se a rc h o n g ra nd p a re nts (G P) a nd g ra nd c hild re n (G C ) re la tio nship is c urre ntly b e ing c o nd uc te d , fo c using o n the use o f c o m p ute r m e d ia te d c o m m unic a tio n (C MC ) fo r m a inta ining lo ng d ista nc e G P-G C re la tio nship . In this stud y, the g ra nd c hild re n live in the UK a nd the g ra nd p a re nts live in Ma la ysia.
In a d d itio n to trying to und e rsta nd the na ture o f the re la tio nship b e tw e e n g ra nd p a re nts a nd g ra nd c hild re n, the o b je c tive o f this re se a rc h is to id e ntify the e ffe c tive ne ss o f vid e o c o nfe re nc ing te c hno lo g y to m e d ia te lo ng -d ista nc e re la tio nship a nd to d e ve lo p a nd e va lua te b e tte r vid e o c o nfe re nc ing te c hno lo g y to sup p o rt lo ng d ista nc e c o m m unic a tio n b e tw e e n g ra nd c hild re n a nd g ra nd p a re nt. This re se a rc h is im p o rta nt sinc e c urre ntly, the re is o nly o ne re se a rc h c o nd uc te d o n g ra nd p a re nt-g ra nd c hild (G P-G C ) in Ma la ysia a nd the re se a rc h fo c use d o n Ma la ysia n Sind his (in c o ntra st to the Ma la y p o p ula tio n inve stig a te d in this stud y). At the m o m e nt, this stud y invo lve s c hild re n a g e d b e tw e e n 7 to 11 ye a rs o ld a nd w ho ha ve ha d so m e e xp e rie nc e using vid e o c o nfe re nc ing . All re sp o nd e nts w e re inte rvie w e d a b o ut the ir Inte rne t usa g e a nd the na ture o f c o m m unic a tio n w ith the ir g ra nd p a re nt. The ir vid e o c o nfe re nc ing b e ha vio r w a s a lso o b se rve d . The sa m e p ro c e ss w a s p e rfo rm e d w ith the g ra nd p a re nts. In a d d itio n, the g ra nd p a re nts w e re re q uire d to a c c o m p lish so m e sp e c ific ta sks using vid e o c o nfe re nc ing a p p lic a tio n. In this stud y the g ra nd p a re nts w a s a ssiste d b y o the r fa m ily m e m b e rs. The inte ra c tio n b e tw e e n g ra nd p a re nts, the ir he lp e rs, the vid e o c o nfe re nc ing a p p lic a tio n a nd the g ra nd c hild re n w e re o b se rve d a nd a na lyze d using c o nte nt a na lysis te c hniq ue . This stud y is a lo ng itud ina l stud y, c o lle c ting five d a ta p o ints with se ve n d a ys inte rva l.
Research on Input Devices for People with Motor Disabilities
Ano the r re c e ntly initia te d re se a rc h w o rk is the use o f inp ut d e vic e s b y p e o p le w ith m o to r d isa b ilitie s in Ma la ysia , m o re sp e c ific a lly o n inp ut d e vic e s e va lua tio n w ith m o to r-im p a ire d p e o p le . This re se a rc h is sig nific a nt it is the first re se a rc h o f its kind s to b e c o nd uc te d in
Ma la ysia . An e xp e rim e nt w a s c a rrie d o ut in July 2007 w ith sup p o rt fro m Da to ’ Dr Za liha O m a r, w ho is c urre ntly the Ho no ra ry C o nsulta nt a nd p ro je c t le a d e r fo r Ma la ysia n Ind e p e nd e nt Ne tw o rk o n Disa b ilitie s (MIND). Po te ntia l p a rtic ip a nts fo r the e xp e rim e nt w e re re c ruite d fro m c o m m unity c e nte rs fo r d isa b le d p e o p le a ro und Kua la Lum p ur a nd Se la ng o r.
PA G E 3 4 SIG A C C ESS NEWSLETTER, ISSUE 9 0 , JA N 2 0 0 8 w itho ut d isa b ilitie s. As a re sult, so m e se g m e nts o f so c ie ty ha ve b e c o m e d ise nfra nc hise d b y e xc lusio n fro m a c c e ss to info rm a tio n a nd info rm a tio n te c hno lo g ie s.
This re se a rc h w o uld c o ntrib ute to sup p o rt e -Khid m a t So sia l, a n initia tive b y the g o ve rnm e nt o f Ma la ysia tha t w a s intro d uc e d in 2006. It is a b ra nc h o f the g o ve rnm e nt Stra te g ic Pla nning fo r ta rg e t g ro up s suc h a s c hild re n, p e o p le w ith d isa b ilitie s (PWDs), o ld e r a d ults, tho se fro m lo w e r inc o m e g ro up , fa m ilie s w ith p ro b le m s, vic tim s fro m na tura l d isa ste rs a nd no n g o ve rnm e nta l o rg a niza tio ns (NG O s). The Ma la ysia n g o ve rnm e nt ha s id e ntifie d e -Khid m a t So sia l a s p a rt o f stra te g ic initia tive s fo r the im p le m e nta tio n o f Stra te g ic IC T Pla n fo r Pub lic Se c to rs.
A b o ut the a utho rs
Sya riffa no r Hisha m is a fina l ye a r PhD stud e nt a t the De p a rtm e nt o f C o m p ute r Sc ie nc e a t the Unive rsity o f Yo rk (sp o nso re d b y the G o ve rnm e nt o f Ma la ysia ). She ha s a Ba c he lo r De g re e in Info rm a tio n Te c hno lo g y (Unive rsiti Uta ra Ma la ysia , Ma la ysia ) a nd a n MSc in Multim e d ia Te c hno lo g y fro m the Unive rsity o f
Ma nc he ste r. She is a le c ture r fro m the Fa c ulty o f Info rm a tio n a nd
C o m m unic a tio ns Te c hno lo g y a t Unive rsiti Te knika l Ma la ysia Me la ka , Ma la ysia . He r re se a rc h inte re sts inc lud e use r-inte rfa c e d e sig n, o ld e r a d ults, c ulture a nd lo c a liza tio n.
Na ze a n Jo mha ri o b ta ine d he r BSc Info rm a tio n Sc ie nc e fro m the Na tio na l Unive rsity o f Ma la ysia (UKM) a nd he r Ma ste rs De g re e (MSc . In So ftw a re
Eng ine e ring ) fro m the Unive rsity o f Esse x, Unite d King d o m . She sta rte d he r PhD in Se p te m b e r 2005 w ith the Sc ho o l o f Info rm a tic s a t the Unive rsity o f Ma nc he ste r, UK (sp o nso re d b y the G o ve rnm e nt o f Ma la ysia ). C urre ntly a le c ture r a t the Fa c ulty o f C o m p ute r Sc ie nc e a nd Info rm a tio n Te c hno lo g y w ith Unive rsiti Ma la ya , Ma la ysia ; he r re se a rc h a re a s a re in So ftw a re De sig n, E-C usto m e r Re la tio nship Ma na g e m e nt (C RM), Kno w le d g e Eng ine e ring , We b Ap p lic a tio n a nd E-Le a rning .
