Abstract

The inclusive design movement, disability studies, and the phenomenon of rapidly ageing societies has brought attention to the often overlooked issues of entertainment, social interaction, and psychological well-being of people who adopt and use powered wheelchairs. In this talk, Dr. Seaborn will present on two projects that considered the intersection of these factors from design and research perspectives. The first project involved a smartphone-based, GPS -enabled mixed reality game for adult powered wheelchair users that can be played in large outdoor spaces, such as parking lots. The second involved an indoor mixed reality game for pairs comprised of an older powered wheelchair user and a friend, family member, or stranger who did not use a wheelchair but were required to use one during the game. Details on the design approaches undertaken, theoretical frameworks used, and prototypes developed will be presented. Findings on enjoyment and engagement, usability and cognitive workload, disability and empathy, and psychological well-being and performance will be discussed.