Designing Wearable Assistive Computing Devices to Support Social Acceptability and Personal

170 Pages·2017·2.71 MB·English

University of Colorado, Boulder
CU Scholar
Computer Science Graduate Theses & Dissertations Computer Science
Spring 1-1-2017
Designing Wearable Assistive Computing Devices
to Support Social Acceptability and Personal
Expression
Halley Pont Profita
University of Colorado at Boulder, [email protected]
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DESIGNING WEARABLE ASSISTIVE COMPUTING DEVICES TO SUPPORT
SOCIAL ACCEPTABILITY AND PERSONAL EXPRESSION
by
HALLEY PONT PROFITA
B.S.B.A., University of Miami, 2008
M.I.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011

A thesis submitted to the
Faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Colorado in partial fulfillment
of the requirement for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Computer Science
2017
This thesis entitled:
Designing Wearable Assistive Computing Devices to Support Social Acceptability
and Personal Expression
written by Halley Pont Profita
has been approved for the Department of Computer Science

Prof. Shaun K. Kane

Prof. Michael Lightner

Date

The final copy of this thesis has been examined by the signatories, and we
find that both the content and the form meet acceptable presentation standards
of scholarly work in the above mentioned discipline.

IRB protocol #: 15-0429, 15-0493, 16-0158

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Profita, Halley Pont (Ph.D., Computer Science)
Designing Wearable Assistive Computing Devices to Support Social Acceptability
and Personal Expression
Thesis directed by Assistant Professor Shaun K. Kane

Wearable computing devices offer numerous opportunities to support
individuals with disabilities, including, but not limited to, sensory substitution and
augmentation, cognitive function, telemedicine, and learning and communication.
With the rise of chronic illness – largely attributed to an increased lifespan
compounded by population growth – technology that can support individuals to lead
independent lives will be paramount. Wearable computing devices are unique in
their ability to remain with the user while on-the-go, supporting individuals in
multiple and changing contexts. However, to date, many wearable assistive devices,
and assistive technologies in general, remain highly stigmatizing in nature due to
their distinct or medical-looking form factors and unique interaction techniques –
broadcasting personal information about one’s physical, sensory, or cognitive state
that might otherwise go unnoticed. These socio-cultural implications can often lead
to personal discomfort with using one’s device in various settings – with the
realistic outcome of individuals often choosing to conceal, selectively use, or
abandon their assistive device altogether. Recently, there has been a two-prong
shift in the adoption and treatment of assistive devices: 1) the acquisition of
mainstream devices with accessibility-enabled features, and 2) devices with highly
customized designs and embellishments which highlight the device as opposed to
masking it. One may view this shift as a natural extension of the disability rights
movement aimed at pushing back on the societal structures that create barriers for
individuals with disabilities. This manuscript explores this shift to understand the
attitudinal and behavioral changes with respect to customized on-body assistive
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computing devices and how end users in these communities can be supported
through design and Do-It-Yourself practice. It was discovered that the expressed
perceptions toward novel on-body computing devices were significantly more
acceptable when said computing devices were used for assistive applications. This
research also uncovered the great lengths that some end users go through to
customize or personalize their wearable assistive technology, in particular, hearing
aids and cochlear implants, for the purposes of self-expression and to counter much
of the socially-constructed discomfort that may accompany device use. Finally, we
found that individuals value customization of assistive devices and that this is an
important component to grant individuals agency, ownership, and pride in wearing
a device commonly fraught with marginalization. The results suggest that
customization can lead to increased adoption and confidence in assistive technology
use and may generate greater societal acceptance and awareness toward disability
as a whole.

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DEDICATION

- To Mom -

Sisu.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Everybody needs a champion, and this dissertation would not have been
possible without those who championed my academic path. I am extremely
fortunate to have found my advisors, Dr. Shaun Kane and Dr. Nikolaus Correll,
who provided unyielding encouragement to pursue a creative and rather non-
traditional trajectory for my doctoral research. This gratitude extends to my entire
committee, Dr. Clayton Lewis, Dr. Michael Lightner, and Ms. Asta Roseway, to
whom I am beyond indebted for their continuous guidance and for challenging me to
push myself in this space.
I am overwhelmed to think of the amazing network of mentors, colleagues,
and friends whom I have worked with over the years. I owe a tremendous ‘thank
you’ to Dr. Jed Brubaker, Dr. Casey Fiesler, and to my fellow graduate colleagues
and kindred spirits, Abigale Stangl, Reem Albaghli, Dr. Lise St. Denis, and Hyunjoo
Oh, for supporting me throughout this process and for keeping me on track.
To Dr. Sara Czaja, for introducing me to Human Factors and igniting my
interest in Human-Computer Interaction, and to Clint Zeagler, for opening up the
world of wearable computing to me – I am eternally grateful. Above all else, I would
like to thank my mom, Shar Pont, my fiancé, Dr. Ryan Tung, and my extended
family for their unwavering support, encouragement, and warmth.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTERS

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ....................................................................................... 3
1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................... 6
1.2.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ................................................................................. 8
1.3 ARRANGEMENT OF THE THESIS ............................................................................. 9
2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..................................................................... 10
2.1 WEARABLE COMPUTING ..................................................................................... 10
2.1.1 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE USE OF WEARABLE COMPUTING
AND AT .......................................................................................................... 11
2.1.2 IDENTITY AND THE MEANING OF PERSONAL OBJECTS ................................ 13
2.1.3 CLOTHING, AESTHETICS, AND SOCIAL ASPECTS ......................................... 13
2.2 STIGMA AND DISABILITY ..................................................................................... 15
2.3 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND STIGMA ................................................................ 17
2.3.1 HEARING AIDS AND STIGMA ....................................................................... 20
2.4 EXPRESSIVE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ................................................................ 21
2.5 DO-IT-YOURSELF PRACTICE IN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY .................................... 22
3 RESEARCH APPROACH ................................................................................... 24
4 STUDY 1: THE AT EFFECT .............................................................................. 27
4.1 PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................................... 28
4.2 METHOD ............................................................................................................. 28
4.2.1 VIDEO SCENARIOS ...................................................................................... 30
4.2.2 THE SURVEY .............................................................................................. 32
4.2.3 EXPERIMENTS ............................................................................................ 35
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4.3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 37
4.3.1 EXPERIMENT 1: EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED DISABILITY ................................. 38
4.3.2 EXPERIMENT 2: DISCLOSURE OF DISABILITY STATUS ................................. 42
4.3.3 EXPERIMENT 3: DISCLOSURE OF ASSISTIVE PURPOSE OF THE
DEVICE .......................................................................................................... 43
4.3.4 EXPERIMENT 4: DISCLOSURE OF VIDEO RECORDING .................................. 44
4.3.5 QUALITATIVE EVALUATION ........................................................................ 46
4.4 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 50
4.4.1 IMPLICATIONS FOR WEARABLE COMPUTING DESIGN AND
POLICY .......................................................................................................... 52
5 STUDY 2: AESTHETIC MODIFICATION OF HEARING AIDS
AND COCHLEAR IMPLANTS IN AN ONLINE COMMUNITY ................... 54
5.1 THE ONLINE COMMUNITY .................................................................................. 55
5.2 METHOD ............................................................................................................. 56
5.2.1 DATA ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 56
5.3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 58
5.3.1 THE AT CUSTOMIZATION COMMUNITY ....................................................... 58
5.3.2 TYPES OF POSTS ......................................................................................... 60
5.3.3 TYPES OF AT CUSTOMIZATION ................................................................... 65
5.3.4 CUSTOMIZATION THEMES AND DESIGNS ..................................................... 69
5.3.5 CUSTOMIZATION CHALLENGES AND TRADE-OFFS ....................................... 73
5.4 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 75
5.4.1 MOTIVATIONS FOR CUSTOMIZATION ........................................................... 75
5.4.2 DIY AT PRACTICE AND ONLINE COMMUNITIES .......................................... 77
5.4.3 HOW TO SUPPORT DEVICE CUSTOMIZATION ............................................... 79
6 STUDY 3: SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS OF AESTHETIC
MODIFICATION OF HEARING AIDS AND COCHLEAR
IMPLANTS ............................................................................................................ 81
6.1 PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................................... 82
6.2 METHOD ............................................................................................................. 83
6.2.1 ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 83
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6.3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 84
6.3.1 GETTING STARTED IN AT CUSTOMIZATION ................................................. 84
6.3.2 ENGAGING IN THE DIY AT MODIFICATION PROCESS .................................. 85
6.3.3 CREATING PERSONAL MEANING AND SOCIAL COMFORT ............................. 88
6.4 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................ 99
6.4.1 CUSTOMIZATION AS A SOCIAL ACTIVITY ................................................... 100
6.4.2 MAKING THE INVISIBLE ‘VISIBLE’ ............................................................. 101
6.4.3 PROMOTING NORMALIZED VIEWS OF AT .................................................. 102
7 THIRD-PARTY ACCESSORY DEVELOPERS: TRENDS,
TRADE-OFFS, AND GETTING STARTED ................................................... 104
7.1 PARTICIPANTS .................................................................................................. 104
7.2 THIRD-PARTY ACCESSORY COMPANIES ............................................................. 105
7.2.1 COMPANY 1 .............................................................................................. 105
7.2.2 COMPANY 2 .............................................................................................. 105
7.2.3 COMPANY 3 .............................................................................................. 106
7.3 GETTING STARTED: MOTIVATION, START-UP EXPERIENCES, AND
CHALLENGES .................................................................................................... 106
7.3.1 MOTIVATION ............................................................................................ 107
7.3.2 START-UP EXPERIENCES .......................................................................... 108
7.3.3 CHALLENGES MAINTAINING THE BUSINESS ............................................. 110
7.4 TRENDS ............................................................................................................ 112
7.4.1 CUSTOMER DEMOGRAPHICS ..................................................................... 112
7.4.2 MANUFACTURERS TRENDS ....................................................................... 113
7.4.3 CHANGING NATURE OF THE INDUSTRY ..................................................... 114
7.5 DISCUSSION ...................................................................................................... 115
8 DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR AESTHETIC
CUSTOMIZATION OF WEARABLE ASSISTIVE COMPUTING
DEVICES ............................................................................................................. 117
8.1 BEST PRACTICES AND DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................... 118
8.1.1 SUPPORTING HOW TO GET STARTED IN AT AESTHETIC
CUSTOMIZATION .......................................................................................... 118
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