One Size Doesn't Fit All: On the Adaptable Universal Design of Assistive Technologies
Leila Aflatoony, Siniša Kolarić
Abstract
Abstract Occupational therapists modify mass-produced and universally-designed assistive technologies (ATs) to fulfill the specific needs of people with disabilities. We interviewed ten occupational therapists with experience in modifying ATs in order to understand adaptation processes. Our findings reveal the reasoning behind adaptation, common ATs that require adaptation, as well as the collaborative nature of adaptation. We propose a new framework called Adaptable Universal Design (AUD) that blends Universal Design with the need to adapt ATs in order to fulfill unique and specific user needs.
Topics & Concepts
Adaptation (eye)Universal designOrder (exchange)Assistive technologyHuman–computer interactionComputer scienceUser needsPsychologyMultimediaWorld Wide WebBusinessNeuroscienceFinanceAssistive Technology in Communication and MobilityInnovative Approaches in Technology and Social DevelopmentAutism Spectrum Disorder Research