Disability Interactions
Creating Inclusive Innovations

This book explores disability interactions (DIX), a new approach to using HCI methods and theories to co-create new technologies, experiences, and ways of working with disabled people. DIX focusses on the interactions people have with their technologies and the interactions that result because of technology use. A central theme of the approach is to tackle complex issues where disability problems are part of a system that does not have a simple solution. Therefore, DIX pushes researchers and practitioners to take a challenge-based approach that enables both applied and basic research to happen alongside one another. DIX complements other areas within HCI research such as universal design. Approaches like universal design often start from mainstream users and stretch to incorporate users with disabilities, whereas DIX pushes design to start from users with disabilities and stretches toward mainstream users. DIX also has a stronger focus on user-centered and participatory approaches, ensuring that design occurs within the full system of technology use (e.g. co-design with slum dwellers). DIX also helps to acknowledge that solutions and approaches are often non-binary and that technologies and interactions that deliver value to disabled people in one situation can become a hinderance in a different context. Therefore, it offers a more nuanced guide to designing within the disability space when compared to approaches such as universal design. This book explores why such a new approach is needed, gives case studies of applications highlighting the bundle of HCI methods that can benefit from applying a DIX prospective. The book concludes with some lessons learned and a look to what the next 10 years of DIX might look like.

Table of Contents

1 History of Disability Interactions
2 Why We Need a Disability Interactions Approach
3 Disability Interaction (DIX)
4 Exploring Geographies: DIX in the Global South
5 Exploring Different settings: DIX in Education & Employment
6 Exploring Different Settings: DIX in Health and Healthcare
7 Future Disability Interactions

About the Author(s)

Catherine Holloway, University College London

Giulia Barbareschi, University College London