Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind

The blind person who tries to make an online purchase. The young girl who cannot speak due to a cognitive disability. The man confined to his home due to permanent injury. The single mother with a long-term illness who struggles to feed her family.With one in seven people worldwide currently living with a disability, the term "outcast" covers numerous scenarios. Digital outcasts rely on technology for everyday services that many people take for granted. However, poorly designed products risk alienating this important (and growing) population.Through a "grass roots" approach to innovation, digital outcasts are gradually taking action to transform their lives and communities. This emerging trend provides exciting learning opportunities for all of us.Citing real-world case studies from healthcare to social science, this book examines the emerging legal and cultural impact of inclusive design.

• Gain a better understanding of how people with disabilities use technology
• Discover pitfalls and approaches to help you stay current in your UX practices
• Anticipate a future in which ambient benefit can be achieved for people of all abilities and backgrounds

Kel Smith is author of the Elsevier book Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind (Morgan Kaufmann, 2013 and 2026), recently published in its second edition. Digital Outcasts received a 5/5 rating on BCS, Slashdot, and GoodReads and a 9/10 rating on ACM Computing Reviews.

Mr. Smith holds nearly thirty years of experience working in the design and technology sectors, including stints at Google, Johnson & Johnson, Wiley, and Havas. Mr. Smith has also served as a consultant for a number of international companies and governmental agencies.

In addition to Digital Outcasts, Mr. Smith has published several scientific papers on social innovation and digital inclusion. Mr. Smith’s articles have appeared in SAGE World Future Review, Universal Access in the Information Society, International Journal of E-Politics, UX Magazine, and The Practical Lawyer, among others. Mr. Smith’s scholarly works are housed in the collections of the Pentagon Library, the American Bar Association, the American Law Institute, the Ontario College of Art and Design, and the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.

Mr. Smith has delivered over 100 presentations in six countries. His credits include talks for the Centre for Health Literacy, the Royal National Institute of the Blind, the Art Institute of Chicago, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Stanford University, among many others. Mr. Smith’s work has been featured on CBC Radio’s The Current, National Public Radio, and the BBC Ouch! Network.

For nine years, Mr. Smith served on the board of directors for Inglis Foundation, the Philadelphia region’s largest provider of accessible and affordable health services. An adjunct lecturer at Rutgers University, Mr. Smith also served two terms as Vice Chair of the Philadelphia chapter of ACM/SIG-CHI for computer-human interaction.