ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY DIY
Challenges FOR
DISABLE PERSONS
Moeenuddin
University of Sargodha
Main Campus(CS & IT)
Moeenuddin178@gmail.com
O3043100961
ABSTRACT
The literature review focuses on the study of assistive
technology to build custom Assistive Technology
Components that are less expensive than conventional build
technologies because many purchased technologies are
unused due to the low acceptance rate of these assistive
technologies. Here are some factors that tell us why relying
on “off-the-shelf” product is not good because products are
up to user performance and they not fit the user needs . The
Literature study focuses that the increased control over
design enthusiasm and expense will drive people to build
their own AT instead of buying it.
Author Keywords
Assistive Technology DIY, Assistive Technology
Challenges, Do It Yourself, Rapid Prototyping AT
Introduction
Assistive Technology (AT) is defined as “any device or
system that allows an individual to perform a task that they
would otherwise be unable to do or increases the ease and
safety with which the job can be performed” [1]. AT might
provide life-changing solutions for disables because it helps
them break social barriers and get in touch with an active
society. Research shows us that creating their assistive
technology can provide a sense of empowerment in users,
leading them to increase the investment in the end product.
Background History
Assistive Technology treats a variety of tools from high-tech
gadgets that include control robots and wheelchairs to low-
tech devices such as grips, handrails. There is a considerable
business for non-medical and medical AT; researches have
revealed that the adaptation rate of Assistive Technology is
shallow. Due to low adaptation rates, many people did not
find gadgets they need and, in return, waste money, time, and
power. The study mainly concentrates on the idea that rates
of adaptation of AT can be enhanced by allowing people to
build and alter their private AT,than forcefully relying on
“off-the-shelf” gadgets. Researches tells DIY tools use to
build, transform, or improve AT.Use of Rapid prototyping
machines is feasible for people to develop and customize
automated devices such as prosthetics .The online
communities provide tools for disabilities people to adopt the
changes.
Literature Review
[1] Empowering Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technology to
individuals. Their research mainly focused on the rate of
adoption for AT. The case study teaches individual artists
who could not use their hands to draw, so they make less
expensive "Head Pointer for Painting" Technology. The
research purpose that AT is less costly, and also it is preferred
over already made solution available in the market. They take
interviews of individuals with disabilities. The study that
these individuals are interested in learning new Technology
and want to know how modifications will be made on their
own and be involved in the whole process of DIY. Using
personal scale manufacturing and online communities will
provide a platform for the empowerment of disabled people
to make their Technology that most acceptable to them.
In [2], the research's primary focus is to create a low-cost
speech-generating device. The open-source design is used
for the creation of a low budget.TalkBox is used in speech-
generating devices.TalkBox is designed to be a low cost
compared to the commercial Speech Generating Devices
which is higher in price and doesn't provide the excellent fit
of the use case for disabled people. So they need an
alternative that fits their requirements, and then ultimately
adaptation rate will be high. The researcher makes two
prototypes. The first one uses the Makey board for input
actions. In contrast, the other uses capacitive touch sensors
because Electronic and microcontrollers components are
cheaply available, and the open-source community play an
essential role in creating these DIY movement. They chose a
market standard open design which provides an alternative
to commercial make AT.
In [3] research focuses on challenges related to adopting DIY
AT by disabled people or all kinds of people like non-
professional, friends, caregivers, family.Rapid prototyping is
a fast way to develop AT, which focuses on the making of
complex prototyping.The researcher conduct eleven
interviews with stakeholders that are currently involved in the
maker movement .they see that a lot of challenges faced for
the creation of DIY-AT..the study has revealed that mostly
non-professionals develop and adapted to DIY-AT.Most of
the parents build the AT for their disabled children.Their
confidence increase after building the AT.The success for
making DIY is first to make a simple DIY.Lack of time is
also a major factor for teacher and parents to build assistive
Technology for their disabled people.The nonprofessional
build AT in such a way that the not look good which give a
negative impact on the end-user.The other challenge faced by
nonprofessionals is that if the device breaks so the repair may
take a long time than the original making of the product.
In [4] Research paper a open source sharing of Design is
found on Thingiverse.com.Motivation is found after visiting
these website. Majority of the design build using 3D
printers.Reserch examined the results of sharing their designs
freely online.They study various information about many
designs available on thingverse and also the requirement need
to build it.They see most of the design are 3D.They conduct
online questionnaires of many designers on this website and
see most of them area student of (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics). A small amount is a student
of other fields. In answer to the question about the motivation
of design, their responses are they made design Made for
themself, Made This for Someone I Know, Made as a
personal challenge, Required for a Class or Competition, Part
of a Research Project, This Isn’t Intended for a Disability
In [5] The research is about visually impaired children and
the Experts that are working for them. they have to create
their study material for students, but that didn't meet the
standard, so using rapid technology help them to build the
guides that are suitable for them.So they make the prototypes
for the student and also make blogs about the diy process and
tutorials how to build things.
In [6] Disabilities people have specific needs that not fit in
the industrial approach. So these people build hacking their
custom solutions directly or with the help of a caregiver.
Hackability is used to make less expensive products that
include the combination of designer developer and disable
persons. This process provides courage in disable persons to
tell their need and also collaborate in the whole process . This
technique aims to build a system in less time, and their output
focus is on a large scale.
In [7] Research they use participatory design to build the diy
for westren kenya .They conduct workshops and give
Collect feedback.The community is involved in these
workshops.They also make Groups for Stakeholders.They
Provide special education in kishmu city .Adopt the talk box
in local shools.Observe the disable Students.and customize
the talk box accordingly
In[8] reserch they create TalkBox and SenseBox for
children.TalkBox uses communication via audio and sense
box use to sense the things and playback audio detecting the
objects embedded in the system corresponding to the sensors.
In Kenya, Talk box used by the teacher for children
interactions. They record all student names in the box, and
then student plays their names via audio by touch on the
device. In another case, the sense box used for creating music
for non-verbal students or clients. both of these tools are used
for education and therapist work and appreciated by end-user
In [9], This research addresses the impact of social impacts
and the technical in making DIY. The study that most the DIY
maker are only concerned with the technical aspects of
Devices. The study volunteers behavior that makes prosthetic
devices for children that most of them focus on the
functionality of the product. So Researcher Suggests some
Aspect of HCI to enhance the Maker movement Like Human
Center Design, Participatory Design, interview Techniques to
understand the relation of human and devices along the way.
In The paper, they study the association of volunteers for
printing prosthetics. investigate the relationship between. The
Main Purpose is to get more human centric design that mainly
focus recipients.
In [10] research paper study focuses on Co-design the Work
that all the experts of the field collectively done. Collectively
creativity design process applied across the whole Life span
under the supervision of all experts. Occupational therapists
and industrial designers collaborate to make the more generic
human-centric DIY machines that mainly focus on
maximising the disable person's productivity. The
collaboration of the designers and disabled people in creating
the design is well known because it is the most suitable
humanistic approach. For the development of holistic
solutions, the designer addresses the emotional, social
impacts of users. Most of the work now a day is doing with
the designer's interactions and the people with a physical
impairment or disability (PwIDs). This paper collaborates
Three groups user, Occupational therapists and industrial
designers. The main focus of the study to bring all the groups
to build a more human-centric design for disables peoples.
CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK
A fundamental part of DIY-AT is enabling people to
participate and build Assistive Technology.Diffrent websites
allow the users to download open-source design (such as
Thingiverse) and also allow people to participate, and present
new ideas. While those places give a novel way to create a
community and share designs, they currently do not provide
support to help learners customize the designs.We believe
devices that allowed learners to customize pre-existing ideas
will play a significant part in the fate of DIY-AT. Those
mechanisms should allow users to quickly make insignificant
adjustments, such as changing the design dimensions. In
addition to illustrating how to practice this new technology,
we necessary inform end-users to assess their needs and know
proper answers that meet their requirements.In our case
studies, we recognized the story of people who became their
personal Assistive Technology, but haven’t shared their ideas
among any mainstream communities. Some of the reasons
people haven’t received their designs are because they don’t 9. Okerlund, Johanna, and David Wilson. "DIY Assistive
understand what high-traffic sites to post their work, and Technology for Others: Considering Social Impacts and
think that people do not want the opportunity to see this Opportunities to Leverage HCI Techniques."
work.The Research concentrates on the empowerment of Proceedings of FabLearn 2019. 2019. 152-155.
disabled a person to directly involved in producing the DIY- 10. Aflatoony, Leila, and Su Jin (Susan) Lee. "AT makers: a
AT. The Research tells that they meet difficulties of social multidisciplinary approach to co-designing assistive
accessibility of the many creator space environment. So They technologies by co-optimizing expert knowledge."
want more workshops that cover the area, also teach them the Proceedings of the 16th Participatory Design Conference
skills and give the possibility of collaboration between 2020-Participation (s) Otherwise-Volume 2. 2020
themselves. Early Research also determines the number of
actual members is Minimal. So the actual member should be
workaround beside various abilities of people to support them
and guide them in difficulties they encounter to adjust to
those technologies. The future aim is to teach the artists to
present the design rather than have it protected. There also
need to develop programming and design to various
disability students Using a Raspberry pi to make the
technology themselves and even convince them that doing
DIY-AT is in abilities of them.
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