A rapid-prototyping toolkit for people with intellectual disabilities

Abstract

Micro-electronics tools, coupled with card-based tools, are employed for prototyping smart devices with non-experts. Lately, researchers have started investigating what tools can actively engage people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in their prototyping. This paper posits itself in this line of work. It presents a toolkit for ID people to rapidly prototype together their own ideas of smart things, for their own shared environment. It analyses and discusses engaging or disengaging features of the toolkit in light of the results of two workshops with eight ID participants. Lessons of broad interest for the design of similar toolkits are drawn from the literature and study findings.