AUD Design FrameworkPermalink
Occupational therapists often adapt mass-produced and universally-designed assistive technologies (AT) to meet the unique needs of individuals with disabilities. To better understand this process, we interviewed ten occupational therapists experienced in modifying AT.
Key findings:
- Why adaptations are made: Therapists modify AT to address specific challenges faced by users.
- Which ATs are commonly adapted: Certain devices regularly require adjustments to function better for individuals.
- Collaboration: Adaptation is usually a team effort involving therapists, users, and sometimes device manufacturers.
Based on these findings, we introduce a new approach called Adaptable Universal Design (AUD). This framework combines the broad inclusiveness of Universal Design with built-in flexibility, ensuring assistive technologies can be tailored to fit each person’s specific needs.
Relevant DisciplinesPermalink
Disciplines that were relevant for this project include: Universal Design (UD) framework, assistive technologies (AT), product design, occupational therapy, IxD (interaction design), UX (user experience).
L. Aflatoony, S. Kolarić: One Size Doesn’t Fit All: On the Adaptable Universal Design of Assistive Technologies, full paper, Proceedings of the Design Society, DESIGN Conference, Cambridge University Press (2022). https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2022.123