Exploring Opportunities in Disabled Technology Adoption with a Lens of Game Design

Abstract

The process of adopting technology is complicated, with many variables affecting how and why people might adopt or reject a particular tool. This process becomes further complicated when consider accessibility, disability identity, and the unique roles technology is expected to play in the lives of disabled individuals.Building on a three-stage model of Discovery, Evaluation, and Adaptation in technology adoption, I explore the unique considerations of a disabled approach to this process, informed by disabled lived experience and a recognition of the invisible labor people with disabilities perform to navigate systems not designed for them. Ultimately, I argue that navigating this particular process is akin to how people play games– a practice that we have long studied that we might leverage for additional insight into how to better support this process. Across my dissertation, I aim to demonstrate the following thesis statement: Analyzing disabled technology adoption with a lens of game design can reveal new opportunities for both designing and leveraging access technologies.