ACCESSTECH @ CHI’25

As we are preparing to head out to Japan for the CHI 2025 Conference, we’re happy to share our nine (!!!) contributions to the Full Paper and alt.chi Programme that we are going to present there. Come find us at the conference or read the papers soon thereafter!

Full Papers

Drawing of stylised hands signing VISUAL

Robin Angelini, Katta Spiel, Maartje De Meulder

SPECULATING DEAF TECH: REIMAGINING DEAF TECHNOLOGIES CENTERING DEAF PEOPLE

What does it really mean to employ a deaf-centered design approach and which previously untapped knowledges open up in using it? We embarked on a journey to understand the participation of deaf people from diverse communities to bring in novel perspectives into HCI research that is the premise for technologies centering deaf people.

This paper also received a best paper award!

Photo of two people working on a 3D printer

Oliver Suchanek, Katta Spiel, Robin Angelini, Janis Meissner

FROM PARTICIPATION TO SOLIDARITY: A CASE STUDY ON ACCESS OF MAKER SPACES FROM DEAF AND HEARING PERSPECTIVES

We develop the concept of methodological solidarity in such a way that it describes an ideal that is deliberately unattainable in many respects: project partners can only approach it. Coming close to the ideal requires all participants to reflect on actively initiated processes and their effect on systemic power relations as well as their respective involvement in them.

Five circles that are arranged in a bigger circle and partially overlap with each other. The top middle circle includes the caption "Sensuality" and the bullet points " online platforms", "AI Technologies", "vibrators", "intimate VR", and "embroidery". Moving in clockwise direction, the next circle includes the caption "Intimacy" with a single bullet point labeled "AI Technologies". This is followed by a circle captioned "Sexual Identity". The next circle has the caption "Sexual Health \& Reproduction" and contains the bullet points "online resources", "serious game", and "AI Technologies". Lastly, the next circle is captioned "Sexualisation" and includes the bullet points "online platforms" and "video games". In the lower left corner of the image, the text "Sex Work" lies outside of the circles with the bullet points "OnlyFans" and "Sex Robots".

Dilisha Patel, Ekat Osipova, Katta Spiel, Giulia Barbareschi

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF SEXUALITY, TECHNOLOGY AND DISABILITY

In line with the broader goals of promoting inclusivity, diversity, and equity in technology design and application, we conducted a literature review using feminist content analysis to examine the intersecting domains of sexuality, technology and disability. We provide an outline of existing research on sexuality, technology and disability, and identify the unmarked norms governing research.

Photo of some of the booklets

Janis Meissner

CONFIGURING PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AS GIVE AND TAKE RELATIONSHIPS: METHODOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS ON CO-DESIGNING BOOKLETS WITH A MEN SHED

How can research methods be tailored around give-and-take-relationships with participants? I draw on my collaboration with the Blaydon Shed to discuss the example of co-designing a booklet to serve both as research material for me and brochure for my participants. Along this case study, I discuss gendered and activist tensions in this space, and highlight the political nuance of conduction such research.

sketches of different participants engaging with papers, one of them being drawn as a racoon.

Kay Kender, Katta Spiel

SOCIAL MEDIA AS MARGINALISATION MACHINES: THE TRANS DESIRE FOR SOLIDARITY SPACES

We explore desirable and meaningful social media possibilities from a trans perspective, identifying scale, commercialisation and automation as core issues with mainstream social media, alongside algorithmic and other forms of violence. Considering embodied experiences of shifting economised spaces, we propose a shift towards interest-centric, community-oriented places that prioritise interactions based on solidarity over those based on identity.

alt.chi

Ekat Osipova, Kay Kender, Katta Spiel

SEXY AND WE KNOW IT: EXPLORING SEXISTEMOLOGIES FOR HCI

We propose sex as a method to critically engage with technologies and social narratives. After introducing compulsory sexuality and sex exceptionalism, we discuss two case studies that used sex as a method.

Kay Kender, Ekat Osipova

EVIL AUTISTIC MASTER PLAN FOR ACADEMIA: HCI EDITION

We rage against the eugenic logics of the structures we work in, and share our evil plans to overthrow them. We hand out some neat zine fragments from the living document.

Molly O’Reilly-Kime, Yifan Feng, Francesca Cipelli, Ekat Osipova, Kay Kender, Madeleine Steeds, Sarah Clinch, Elisa Rubegni, Jennifer Rode

FINDING OUR JOY: QUEER PERSPECTIVES ON HCI RESEARCH

We join our colleagues in reflecting how we conduct queer HCI with a joyful approach, discuss the challenges we face in doing so, and provide a few handy guidelines for the curious researcher.

Kay Kender, Ekat Osipova

FOUND FOOTAGE FROM THE NUCLEAR PROTECTION NATIONAL PARKS

We immerse ourselves, with some measure of slapstick, in the world of the Nuclear Protection National Parks Austria, to discuss Found Footage as an accessible approach to co-speculation.

BÄM!

In mid-May the AccessTech core team was finally complete and met for a retreat in beautiful Carinthia, near Lake Ossiach, from May 23rd to May 24th.

Selfie with project members smiling.  From left front to right: Felix sitting in a wheelchair, Ekat wearing a dashing shirt, Katta posing, Robin kneeling down smiling, Kay kneeling down squinting, Katharina leaning forward and smiling, Lou grinning into the camera and Janis holding the camera.

We used those two days to fully concentrate on how to approach our big project, what we want to achieve within its different subtopics and what we need to do so. Along the way we also got to know each other better as a team with our strengths as well as weaknesses and defined our guiding principle for the project:

Everybody is talking about access, accessibility and equality, but to really give a sense of what access actually means, we decided to use this project to make a little ‘BAM!’ to increase crip (self-)awareness in this world!

Sidenote: Breaks are important! In between, we also took enough time to clear our heads again and how could a project better kick off than with a full rainbow…

Some project members and interpreters looking over Lake Ossiach with a rainbow spanning both sides of the lake.

ACCESSTECH is starting out

Videos show content in International Sign (left) and Austrian Sign Language (right).

As the team assembles, we are happy to present this web page to you now. It will serve as an invitation and communication platform for our results as well as an archive of our activities. Please feel free to reach out with your feedback at any time! Also let us know if you’re interested in collaborating with us. You do not have to be an academic!

ÖGGF Gender Lecture

Videos show content in International Sign (left) and Austrian Sign Language (right).

On Tuesday, March 19th 2024 at 6pm, Katta Spiel will give an online talk on “Tech-Utopias between Cyborgs and Care – What Access has to do with Solidarity and Feminism”. It will be given in German and interpreted to Austrian Sign Language. The talk is part of the ÖGGF Lecture Series on Current Positions in Gender Studies. ÖGGF stands for Gender Studies Association Austria. They request you register at office{at}oeggf.at.

Poster Version of the Invitation in German. All information has been put in text already.