Invitation to the 2nd European Colloquium for User-friendly Product Information

Target-group oriented design is an indispensable quality criterion for the usability of products and technical information. In this context, technical documentation has to meet the requirements of specific audiences, such as people with constraint perception. In recent years, the term "people with special needs" has been extended to the concept of "barrier-free access". The target is to allow all consumers, including inexperienced users, a trouble-free use of products, information and media. 

TCeurope, the European umbrella association for technical communication, which is currrently in the course of formation, is seeking a dialog with relevant actors and lobbies. Their focus is to publicize the concern for user-friendly consumer information on a European basis and to find practical solutions.
The TCeurope invites all interested parties to the:

2nd European Colloquium for User-friendly Product Information: Barrier-Free Access to Technical Information

Date: March 25, 2002
Time: 9:30 - 16:00
Location: European Parliament, Paul Henry Spaak Building, 1. floor, room 1C47, Rue Wiertz 60, 1050 Brussels

The topic "Barrier-free Access to Technical Information" will be comprehensively covered from a scientific, economic, and political viewpoint. Contributing speakers are:

Anke Harris, ISTC - Institute for Scientific and Technical Communicators / TCeurope: Reception & Introduction

Rudolph Brynn, European Disability Forum: The needs of people with disabilities from the perspective of the European Disability Forum

Drs. Floor van Horen, Technical University of Eindhoven (NL):  Examination of user instructions for older people

Erik Hansson, European Commission, General Department of Health and Consumer Protection: The background of EU mandates and main topics of the mandate m 283 for the "Usability of products for people with special needs"

Jens Henriksson, ANEC - European Association for the Co-ordination of Consumer Representation in Standardisation: The initiative concerning m 283

Francisco Javier Verdera Marí, CENELEC - European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation: The implementation of the mandate m 283 through European standardization societies

Dr. Karel van der Waarde, Van der Waarde Graphic Design - Research: Presenting information readably and understandably

Günter Hanke, Intreal: Manuals for blind and visually handicapped people

To register, please send an email to u.wirtz@tekom.de
The attendance is free.