Universal access: A concept to be adapted to technological development and societal change

Society is undergoing a transition toward an information society, due to the very fast development of ICT technology. This transition is creating a new complex social environment that requires new ways of looking at universal accessibility and methodologies to guarantee it. After an analysis of the present situation and possible developments, the main conclusion of the paper is that not only the information society (equipment and services) must be designed for all, but also that it must be designed by all. This means that users must be integrated not only in the phase of requirement analysis, but as actors in designing and implementing solutions. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.