Giving a Voice to the ‘Hard to Hear’ - Informing Digital Futures: Strategies for Citizen Engagement - page 79

Norman reinforces the point that designers are not typical users. “ They
become so expert in using the object they have designed that they cannot
believe that anyone else might have problems; only interaction and testing
with actual users throughout the design process can forestall that ” (Norman
2000). Of course, it is not just designers who have difficulty appreciating
the extent of diversity in society - most of us share that characteristic -
including key role-holders in government agencies, local authorities etc.
Certain groups of stakeholders become excluded from adequate provi-
sion in terms of systems, services and products. This is because they have
not been identified as a group with specific characteristics which may need
special consideration. This may arise as a result of over-generalisation, e.g.
there is recognition in many circles of the need to design for 'the elderly',
or 'the disabled' and yet people in these categories will have a hugely di-
verse range of characteristics. For example, two important differentiators
regarding adoption of the Internet by older people appear, from recent re-
search (Olphert et al. 2005) to be income and social support. Clearly those
who are well-off will not necessarily face the same problems as those who
are poor; similarly those who are part of a strong social support network of
family and friends will not necessarily face the same problems as those
who are isolated.
Another adage says “ there are none so deaf as those who do not want to
hear ”. This can mean that although some categories of citizens have a le-
gitimate 'stake' in a proposed development - and therefore a right to be
heard - they may sometimes be ignored by other leading and influential
stakeholders who fear delays, loss of power or control, or increased costs
through having to engage with others.
Further there are people who choose on a regular basis to engage in
consultations and other participative exercises but they may not be repre-
sentative of the wider community. Research by Jagodzinski and Forde
(2005) endorses the finding that those who make their views known are
not often representative of the wider community: “… in talking to people in
Devon we have often heard the view that the existing mechanisms, such as
community forums in Town Halls and so on, are dominated by articulate
and outspoken people who have the confidence, the time and the transport
to stand up in public and voice their opinions. This can lead to a sense of
disenfranchisement and exclusion from decision-making amongst the
majority ”. Issues relating to motivation and selection of participants will
be discussed in more detail in Chapter 9.