Drones as Accessibility Probes in Able-Bodied Norms: Insights from People with Lived Experiences of Disabilities

Paper in proceeding, 2024

We present an exploratory, in-the-wild study in which a small hobby drone and a game controller were freely used by five people in their domestic environments, indoors and outdoors. All participants had motor disabilities affecting their arms and hands, and two also used wheelchairs. One participant contributed as a community researcher, assisting in data analysis, reflecting on findings, drawing conclusions, and co-authoring this paper. The findings reveal several usability and accessibility issues, along with potential risks and opportunities for the use of hobby drones in everyday situations. Beyond these insights, we discuss the importance of including people with lived experience of disability in research to shape a holistic and inclusive understanding of the use of mainstream artifacts such as hobby drones. This also helps prevent able-bodied design norms from limiting who can use drone technology and how it is used.