Inclusive design guidelines for HCI

Let us say you wish to design and develop a new product or technology. You want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to use it—not only is it politically and in some countries legally correct but with our ageing population it makes good economic sense. You want to follow existing design advice, of which you have been told there is much around. But where is the best place to look, and who do you go to for more specific information? You may decide to look for published materials, such as design guidelines. However, when you find guidelines, you cannot always be sure that they will be applicable to your specific product or technology. If you follow these guidelines, can you be sure that your product will be usable by more people?