Post proceedings of the Interacting with assistive technology (IATech) workshop

Abstract

Assistive Technology (ATech) is designed to increase, maintain or improve the functioning of people with disabilities. These products can consider hardware, software or mechanical devices, such as a wheelchair. People with disabilities can have varying levels of ability, and there cannot be a single solution to suit everyone. Therefore, a range of ATech products are developed to ensure that this user community is not marginalized and can interact in an inclusive society. One of the challenges of ATech is related to awareness and for people with disabilities to know about available products or services. The Interacting with Assistive Technology (IATech)Workshop at INTERACT 2023, followed the Diversity, Accessibility and Inclusivity workshops (DAI) held at BCS HCI 2021 and 2022, investigated the current approaches of developing ATech, including the challenges and lessons learned. Theworkshop also explored developments aiming to ensure interactive solutions are accessible and inclusive to all users. The IATech Workshop is a forum for researchers in the domains of accessibility, assistive technology, human-computer interaction and human-centered design to discuss the challenges and solutions for interacting with ATech. TheWorkshop concluded with a panel discussion focusing on awareness and training in ATech. The findings from the panel were used to generate a roadmap of future research directions.