Requirements Gathering

The process of collecting and documenting the needs, constraints, and expectations of users and stakeholders to inform the design of a technology system or product. In accessibility and assistive technology contexts, requirements gathering poses unique challenges: target users may have cognitive, communication, or physical impairments that affect their ability to participate in traditional methods like interviews and surveys; caregivers and users may provide contradictory accounts of needs and abilities; and the researcher must balance gathering accurate data with respecting participant dignity and avoiding fatigue. Effective requirements gathering with disabled populations often requires adapted methods, multiple informant perspectives, and in-context observation alongside formal interviews.