The Dilemma of Building Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solutions for Workplace Accessibility

TL;DR

This paper explores how Blind and Low Vision Software Professionals create and use DIY tools to improve workplace accessibility, revealing motivations, impacts, and the need for better sharing platforms.

Contribution

It uncovers the motivations and impacts of DIY accessibility tools used by BLVSPs and introduces the 'Double Hacker Dilemma' highlighting the need for improved sharing platforms.

Findings

DIY tools support multiple purposes for BLVSPs

Motivations include dignity and professional image

A need for centralized sharing community

Abstract

Existing commercial and in-house software development tools are often inaccessible to Blind and Low Vision Software Professionals (BLVSPs), hindering their participation and career growth at work. Building on existing research on Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Assistive Technologies and customized tools made by programmers, we shed light on the currently unexplored intersection of how DIY tools built and used by BLVSPs support accessible software development. Through semi-structured interviews with 30 BLVSPs, we found that such tools serve many different purposes and are driven by motivations such as desiring to maintain a professional image and a sense of dignity at work. These tools had significant impacts on workplace accessibility and revealed a need for a more centralized community for sharing tools, tips, and tricks. Based on our findings, we introduce the "Double Hacker Dilemma" and highlight a need for developing more effective peer and organizational platforms that support DIY tool sharing.