About the Dis-IT Research Alliance

From 2003-2007, the researchers and partner organizations of the Disability and Information Technologies (Dis-IT) Research Alliance studied how computers, the Internet, and other information technologies (IT) can increase the quality of life and inclusion of Canadians with disabilities in the knowledge-driven new economy.

The Dis-IT Research Alliance focused its research in four theme areas:

• workplaces
• e-learning
• retail and public services
• e-democracy

The research was guided by three fundamental questions:

• How can emerging information technologies be more inclusive of the needs of people with disabilities in Canada?
• How can more inclusive information technologies enable greater participation of people with disabilities in Canadian society and economy?
• How can information technologies developed or adapted to address the accessibility requirements of people with disabilities also address the needs of citizens, workers, learners, and consumers in broader domestic and international markets?

Dis-IT was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through its Initiative on the New Economy (INE) program. The INE, a five-year initiative which began in 2001, provided funding for researchers to explore the social, cultural and economic dimensions of the global, knowledge-driven new economy. The objective of the program was to help Canada and Canadians adapt successfully to and benefit from the new economy.

For further information about Dis-IT

• Dr. Deborah Stienstra
  Principal Investigator and Research Co-Director
  E-mail: [email protected]
  Phone: (204) 474-9971