"Knowledge Comes Through Participation": Understanding Disability through the Lens of DIY Assistive Technology in Western Kenya
Links to Files
Permanent Link
Author/Creator
Author/Creator ORCID
Date
Type of Work
Department
Program
Citation of Original Publication
Hamidi, Foad, Patrick Mbullo Owuor, Michaela Hynie, and Melanie Baljko. “‘Knowledge Comes Through Participation’: Understanding Disability through the Lens of DIY Assistive Technology in Western Kenya.” Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction 6, no. CSCW1 (April 7, 2022): 72:1-72:25. https://doi.org/10.1145/3512919.
Rights
Abstract
People with disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) have limited access to digital assistive technologies (ATs). Most ATs in LMICs are manufactured elsewhere and are expensive and difficult to maintain. Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technologies (DIY-ATs) designed, customized, and repaired by non-technical users offer exciting directions in these contexts. We have been exploring the possibilities and challenges of DIY-ATs in Western Kenya, using community-engaged workshops in rural and urban special education schools for the past three years. We present findings from a concluding-stage research activity: a multiple stakeholder focus group where teachers, disability advocates, and representatives from the local government and technology innovation hubs, discussed the possibilities and challenges of addressing disability issues through DIY-ATs in this context. Participants identified opportunities for DIY-ATs for social inclusion, disability assessment, and inclusive education, and shared concerns about their sustainability, safety, and contextual relevance.