Designing wearable computing technology for acceptability and accessibility
Abstract
Wearable forms of assistive technology (AT) have the ability to support users while on the go. However, using AT in public can be subject to sociocultural influences (e.g., societal stigma, judgment, and social isolation) due to the conspicuousness of the device, often leading users to modify, hide, or even abandon their AT. As new physical forms of wearable AT enter the market (e.g., smart garments, head-up displays, and specialized on-body devices), such devices may or may not be socially acceptable when displayed or used in a public setting, respectively. This research seeks to explore how perceptions of wearable and collocated assistive technology, such as, the appearance or associated operation of the device, can influence whether individuals will use their AT. Our objective is to critically understand the role that design and aesthetics can play to mitigate the existing stigma concerns that permeate AT usage in order to inform the design of future AT devices.
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Building accessibility into mainstream technologies may not be a final solution to stigma, and customization of (assistive or mainstream) technologies for different social norms of various contexts seems crucial, especially in public spaces such as higher education campuses.
“this may not be a fi nal solution to stigma, and customization of (assistive or mainstream) technologies for different social norms of various contexts seems crucial, especially in public spaces [71] such as higher education campuses.”
From Rethinking “Empowering Technology” in Higher Education Accessibility: A Case Study of Disabled Students’ Experiences at a German University (2026) · cites this paper as [71]
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- Authors
- Profita, H. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Corresponding author
- Profita, Halley P.
- ORCID
- Profita, Halley P.
- Venue
- ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing
- Published
- 2016-03-16
- Issue
- 114
- Pages
- 44-48
- ISSN
- 1558-1187 (ISSN-L)
- 1558-2337
- OpenAlex
- W2313915139
- Cited by
- 32
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 6.27
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- ACM SIGACCESS Accessibility and Computing (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
- Keywords
- wearable assistive technology, assistive technology, social stigma, technology acceptance, smart garments, head-up display, sociocultural factors, device design
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