"Because we are no longer ashamed of our disabilities, we are proud": Advocating and Reclaiming Next-Gen Accessibility Symbols

TL;DR

This study explores how emerging technologies can enhance accessibility symbols by making them more customizable, context-aware, and integrated into wearable and mobile devices to improve disability disclosure and reduce misinterpretation.

Contribution

It introduces a design approach that combines symbols with technology to create more inclusive, user-controlled, and context-sensitive accessibility disclosure systems.

Findings

Symbols are more effective when paired with user-controlled technologies.

Participants propose integrating symbols into wearable and mobile devices.

Context-sensitive and customizable symbols reduce misinterpretation.

Abstract

Our study investigates the relationship between accessibility symbols and emerging technologies in supporting disability disclosure. We conducted twenty three remote design creation sessions with semi structured interviews to examine participants awareness of existing symbols, how they use symbols across online and offline contexts, and barriers to adoption and interpretation. Through participant sketching and future oriented storyboard probes, participants proposed ways to integrate symbols into wearable devices, mobile interfaces, and portable tools, emphasizing customizable and context sensitive disclosure. Our findings suggest symbols are most effective when paired with technologies that provide user control over visibility and optional pathways for explanation, helping reduce misinterpretation while supporting agency in disclosure moments. By reimagining symbol based assistance as part of a broader disclosure system where meaning depends on the symbol, its carrier, and context, this work informs more inclusive accessibility supports across diverse settings.