Question 31/I - Human factors aspects of access to voice and
non-voice services using public terminals (continuation and
revision of Question 12/II from 1985-1988)

Considering

(a) that access to telephone and Telematic services through public
terminals can be facilitated by careful attention to human factors
issues;

(b) that user difficulties cause dissatisfaction, impairment of the
Quality
of Service, and loss of revenue;

(c) that public terminals are designed and constructed mainly according
to national requirements, which differ between countries;

(d) that harmonization of terminals and user procedures can reduce
difficulties in using publicly accessed services;

(e) that harmonization of terminals and user procedures allows uniform
instructions and other assistance to be developed;
(f) that harmonization of terminals and user procedures would benefit
from a uniform interpretation of their descriptions;
(g) that the ISDN will permit a substantial increase in the number and
type of services available to users through public terminals;

(h) that handicapped or disabled persons may face special difficulties
in
using public terminals;

(i) that Recommendation E.133 has been developed to harmonize basic
aspects of user procedures for card-operated payphones
(cardphones),

the following questions should be answered:

1. What Recommendations are needed to harmonize operating
procedures (described with use of specification and description
language (SDL), if applicable and helpful) for voice and non-voice
public
terminals (e.g. cardphones, public Telefax, ISDN public terminals)?

2. What assistance to the user is needed at the terminal to facilitate
ease of use? With respect to pictograms, symbols and pictographic
instructions, this activity will require close collaborative work with
Question 28/I.

3. What Recommendations are needed to promote easy use of public
terminals by handicapped or disabled persons?

4. What information is needed to understand the scope and magnitude
of human factors considerations influencing the use of public
terminals?
[Circulation of a questionnaire to obtain the necessary information may
facilitate this process.]