Computer Science
Document Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
While Do-It-Yourself Assistive Technology (DIY-AT) has been shown to provide needed AT for individuals who might not otherwise have access, the makerspaces utilized to create these technologies have proven to be inaccessible. A promising direction for creating accessible makerspaces is to utilize participatory methods to develop new spaces for use by a diverse community of individuals. We explored these possibilities through participatory design workshops focused on building a new accessible community makerspace situated within a university campus setting. Through these workshops, we found that there are unique physical, technical, and human supports needed to create an accessible space for the diverse community members. In addition, we found that these workshops facilitated community building and fostered dialogue between groups of individuals who were not often in conversation. Our findings generated considerations for future design of accessible community makerspaces with the goal of creating democratized technology within the space. Hosting participatory workshops in the design of community spaces can lead to more inclusive and welcoming makerspaces and access to DIY-AT for those that need it.
Publication Title
PDC 2026 - 19th Participatory Design Conference, Vol. 1: Full Papers, Peace, Dialogue, Coexistence. Designing for living together
Publication Date
2026
ISBN
9798400721052
DOI
10.1145/3796624.3796634
Keywords
accessibility, co-design, community-based design, equity, makerspace, university setting, urban settings
Repository Citation
Higgins, Erin; Magee, John J. IV; and Hamidi, Foad, "Creating a University-based Accessible Makerspace for Use by Local Community Members through Participatory Design Workshops" (2026). Computer Science. 249.
https://commons.clarku.edu/faculty_computer_sciences/249
APA Citation
Higgins, E., Magee, J., & Hamidi, F. (2026, June). Creating a University-based Accessible Makerspace for Use by Local Community Members through Participatory Design Workshops. In Proceedings of the 19th Participatory Design Conference 2026, Vol. 1: Full Papers (pp. 339-349).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Conditions
Higgins, E., Magee, J., & Hamidi, F. (2026, June). Creating a University-based Accessible Makerspace for Use by Local Community Members through Participatory Design Workshops. In Proceedings of the 19th Participatory Design Conference 2026, Vol. 1: Full Papers (pp. 339-349). https://doi-org./10.1145/3796624.3796634
