Abstract
Technology shapes how the future of society is imagined and constructed. Yet, social imaginations about the future tend to exclude disability. Amid such imaginations about social and technological futures, the accessibility of designed objects and interactive experiences continues to impact the lives of people with disabilities. Drawing on a techno-somatic design approach that uses critical making techniques and open-source digital design software to create 3D-printed assistive technology, the Stylus Project seeks to improve the quality of how people with disabilities interact with digital devices. A techno-somatic design approach foregrounds what Garth Paine describes as a “sensorial relationship” between the user’s “intentional effort” and the “pliability” of a designed object, such as a stylus. Current stylus designs require considerable hand mobility to manipulate the tool, which can be strenuous and inaccessible to people with disabilities. Building on critical insights from people with limited hand mobility, we designed a “snap-band” forearm attachment that does not require precise hand and finger movement to manipulate. By integrating this attachment into a 3D-printed stylus, users with limited hand mobility can interact comfortably with digital touchscreens and perform tasks like ordering a pizza or socializing with others online. Indeed, the Stylus Project materializes accessible social futures that include people with disabilities. By illuminating key findings from user-testing sessions that assessed how our stylus facilitates accessible interactions with digital devices, this study demonstrates that a techno-somatic design approach can advance the accessibility of interactive experiences and create accessible social futures that include disability.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
ACCESSIBLE SOCIAL FUTURES, TECHNO-SOMATIC DESIGN, DISABILITY INCLUSION, INTERACTION DESIGN
