Contemporary Ergonomics 2004

Paul T. McCabe

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781135487706
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Industrial Health & Safety
• Index: Technology & Engineering

The broad and developing scope of ergonomics has been illustrated over the past fifteen years by the books that make up the Contemporary Ergonomics series. Presenting the proceedings of the Ergonomics Society's annual conference, the series embraces the wide range of topics covered by ergonomics. Individual papers provide insight into current pract

GENERAL ERGONOMICS

PIN PADS FIRST STEP TO A CASHLESS SOCIETY?

Tanita M.Kersloot and Paul Snee

RNIB Sensory Design Services
Bakewell Road,
Orton Southgate
Peterborough, PE2 6XU

The rapid increase in card fraud losses over the past years required a response, as cards would not survive if losses were to increase even further. The introduction of new services as well as the development of new devices (PIN pads) is helping the fight against fraud. As a result of this, many new PIN pads are emerging from various manufacturers. Although the development of these systems is exciting and should have many benefits, it also raises a number of concerns, in particular in relation to the accessibility to disabled people. Guidelines and standards for PIN pads are limited and PIN pads emerge on the market without having been evaluated by disabled people (the end user). This results in complaints and expensive after market ‘fixes’, which could have been prevented through the adoption of an inclusively design methodology in the first place.

Introduction

Card fraud losses are growing and were about £411 million in 2001 on UK issued cards (www.chipandpin.co.uk). To try and prevent the card fraud from growing even further, Chip and PIN will be introduced. The Chip and PIN project has been described as the largest UK project within retail since decimalisation with a cost of over 1.7 billion. In future, credit and debit card transactions will be authorised by the customer keying in a Personal Identification Number (PIN) rather than by signing a paper receipt.

The system of paying benefits by order book at the Post Office is also open to fraud and “fraudsters swindle £80m in lost and stolen order books—one hundred from pensioners each week.” (Malcolm Wick, Minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, giving evidence to the Trade and Industry Committee on 4 June 2003). Payment of benefits and pensions is also in the process of changing and has started to be paid directly into bank accounts. Withdrawing this money will be possible through the use of a PIN pad.

PIN pads (terminals that accept the PIN card) will be of various shapes and sizes. Some PIN pads will be portable and cordless, others will have a PIN pad built into a terminal, and some will have a PIN pad connected to the existing terminal by a cable. Figure 1 shows an example of what a PIN pad may look like.

Figure 1: Example of a PIN pad

Within the UK, the market segment for older and disabled people is growing. Projections suggest that the number of people aged 65 and over will exceed the number of people aged under 16 by 2014. By 2025 there will be more than 1.6 million more people over the age of 65 than people under 16 (www.statistics.gov.uk). Results from the 1996/7 Survey of Disability showed that an estimated 20 per cent of the adult population had a disability. In general the prevalence of disability increases with age (Grundy et al, 1999). For example 78 per cent of registered blind people are over the age of 65 (source: SSDA 902). The increase in the number of older and disabled people should have implications, placing greater demands on products and services. Especially as most disabled people do go out, as indicated by the 1996/7 Survey of Disability that showed that most had made outings of various Kinds in the past four weeks (Grundy et al, 1999). It is essential that PIN pads, for use by the general public, are designed to be accessible by as many people as is reasonably possible including the aging and disabled population.

The attitude toward disabled people has changed over the years. From keeping disabled people isolated from society and treating them in separate institutes, attitudes have moved towards integration within society. As a result, the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) was introduced in 1995 making it illegal to discriminate against disabled people in some areas.

Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The main message that the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) transmits, is not to treat disabled people less favourable than others. The DDA covers a wide range from employment, goods facilities and services, premises, transport to education, and is implemented over a number of years. The DDA part III deals with the duties placed on those providing goods, facilities or services to the public. The Act makes it unlawful for service providers to discriminate against disabled people in certain circumstances.

The term ‘service provider’ is defined as those “concerned with the provision, in the United Kingdom, of services to the public or to a section of the public, with or without payment (s.19(2)), including goods and facilities”. There are very few services that are not covered within the act. The only exception is clubs with a genuine selection procedure (such as private members clubs), gyms and fitness centres where you have to join will not be exempted (Casserley, 2003).

Disability is defined as “physical or mental impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the ability to carry out normal day to day activities” (Casserley, 2003).

The DDA part III takes a pro-active approach; it is not sufficient to wait till a disabled person requires a service, but service providers have to be ready for when they do. They have the duty to make reasonable adjustments to practices policies or procedures, physical features and auxiliary aids and services. For example, where an auxiliary aid or service (such as information in Braille, or a sign language interpreter) would facilitate the use of a service, the service provider must take reasonable steps to provide it. This part of the Act comes into force on the 1^st October 2004.

A disabled person who believes that a service provider has unlawfully discriminated against him or her may bring civil proceedings. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) supports disabled people in securing their rights under the (DDA). They help solve problems and achieving solutions, often without going to a court and they also support legal cases to set new precedents and test the limits of the law (www.drc.org.uk). If successful, a disabled person could be awarded compensation for any financial loss, including injury to feelings. The disabled person may also seek an injunction to prevent the service provider repeating any discriminatory act in the future.

The manufacture and design of products are not in themselves covered by Part III of the Act, because they are not involved in the provision of services directly to the public. Nothing in the Act requires manufacturers or designers to make changes to their products, packaging or instructions. However, it makes good business sense for manufacturers and designers to make their goods (and user information) more accessible to disabled customers. The service provider buying the product from manufacturers would want the product to be ‘compliant’ with the DDA in order to avoid committing an act of unlawful discrimination. At the moment service providers may think that they can take legal action against the manufacturer if they commit an act of discrimination. Manufacturers, however, are either unaware of the DDA act or think it does not apply to them. This issue will not be resolved till after the act is in force in October 2004.

User needs

Manufacturers of PIN pads see their customers as the shops and other service providers buying their equipment. They would design a PIN pad to please their customer and, for example, adopt the customer’s corporate colour scheme, rather than using good c...

Table of contents

• CONTENTS
• PREFACE
• SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS
• INCLUSIVE DESIGN
• MODELLING & USABILITY
• INTERFACE DESIGN
• BIOMECHANICS
• MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
• ROAD TRANSPORT
• RAIL
• AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
• DEFENCE
• HUMAN RELIABILITY
• PATIENT SAFETY
• WARNINGS
• METHODS
• GENERAL ERGONOMICS
• AUTHOR INDEX
• SUBJECT INDEX