Barriers and Benefits: The Path to Accessible Makerspaces
Katherine H. Allen, Audrey K. Balaska, Reuben M. Aronson, Chris Rogers, Elaine Schaertl Short · 2023 · Proceedings of the 25th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS 2023) · doi:10.1145/3597638.3608414
Summary
This paper investigates the intersection of makerspace culture and the disability community, exploring how makerspaces can better support the development of assistive technologies by and for disabled makers. The researchers conducted eleven semi-structured interviews with two groups: eight makerspace operators and five disabled makers who create projects ranging from adaptive beach scooters and wheelchair-to-bike lifts to screen-reader-friendly DJ software and adapted electronic toys. The study was motivated by a fundamental philosophical alignment — makerspace culture emphasizes bespoke creativity, iterative design, and personal customization, which directly serves the needs of assistive technology users who often require highly customized solutions that commercial markets cannot profitably provide. However, the researchers found that despite this natural synergy, significant barriers prevent disabled people from participating as makers rather than merely as clients in accessibility hackathons. The study examined both physical and digital makerspaces, recognizing that online maker communities can eliminate geographic and physical access barriers while introducing their own challenges around belonging and geolocality. The qualitative analysis produced 568 open codes organized into 33 themes across six categories, providing a comprehensive picture of the accessibility landscape in maker communities.
Key findings
The study identified five categories of barriers to makerspace participation by disabled makers. First, recruitment and outreach failures mean disabled people often do not know makerspaces exist or that they are welcome. Second, physical access barriers extend beyond the makerspace itself to include door-to-door accessibility — transportation, building approaches, pathways, ergonomics of tools designed for standing 6-foot users, and even floor cleanliness for wheelchair users. Third, financial barriers compound disability-related poverty, with the intersectionality of poverty and disability meaning households with a disabled adult need 29% more income on average. Fourth, access to information is hindered by paper-based systems, inaccessible tool manuals, and copyright restrictions that prevent reformatting materials. Fifth, belonging is challenged by impostor syndrome, isolation, and assumptions about disabled people's capabilities. Key recommendations include "makerspacing the makerspace" — empowering disabled members to adapt tools and spaces to their own needs rather than pre-optimizing for assumed requirements. Participants strongly advocated for hybrid digital-physical makerspaces that combine the community benefits of physical spaces with the lower barriers of digital ones. A proposed "Session Zero" concept involves 1:1 orientations with all new members to identify access needs from the start.
Relevance
This research is highly relevant for anyone involved in accessibility technology development, maker education, or inclusive community building. The concept of "makerspacing the makerspace" — letting disabled makers adapt spaces rather than pre-designing for assumed needs — is a powerful reframing that applies broadly to inclusive design in any setting. The finding that disabled makers create custom devices filling gaps that commercial markets ignore (garage door openers, wheelchair modifications, adaptive sporting equipment) underscores the importance of supporting self-directed assistive technology creation. For accessibility practitioners, the five-barrier framework provides a practical assessment tool for evaluating any collaborative space. The paper also highlights an important tension between universal design and bespoke adaptation, noting that universal design alone is insufficient when every combination of disabilities requires unique accommodations.
Tags: makerspaces · DIY assistive technology · co-design · inclusion · accessibility barriers · maker culture · digital fabrication · participatory design