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Understanding Volunteer AT Fabricators: Opportunities and Challenges in DIY-AT for Others in e-NABLE

Published: 02 May 2017 Publication History

Abstract

We present the results of a study of e-NABLE, a distributed, collaborative volunteer effort to design and fabricate upper-limb assistive technology devices for limb-different users. Informed by interviews with 14 stakeholders in e-NABLE, including volunteers and clinicians, we discuss differences and synergies among each group with respect to motivations, skills, and perceptions of risks inherent in the project. We found that both groups are motivated to be involved in e-NABLE by the ability to use their skills to help others, and that their skill sets are complementary, but that their different perceptions of risk may result in uneven outcomes or missed expectations for end users. We offer four opportunities for design and technology to enhance the stakeholders' abilities to work together.

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      cover image ACM Conferences
      CHI '17: Proceedings of the 2017 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
      May 2017
      7138 pages
      ISBN:9781450346559
      DOI:10.1145/3025453
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      Published: 02 May 2017

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      Author Tags

      1. 3d printing
      2. accessibility
      3. assistive technology
      4. digital fabrication
      5. diy
      6. limb difference
      7. making
      8. prosthetics

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      • (2024)An Ecosystem of Support: A U.S. State Government-Supported DIY-AT Program for Residents with DisabilitiesProceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility10.1145/3663548.3675667(1-16)Online publication date: 27-Oct-2024
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      • (2023)A Review of the Potential and Path to the Large-Scale Adaptation of DIY in Assistive TechnologyDesign in the Era of Industry 4.0, Volume 110.1007/978-981-99-0293-4_86(1067-1079)Online publication date: 25-Jul-2023
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