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Title: Stitching Together the Experiences of Disabled Kniters
Knitting is a popular craft that can be used to create customized fabric objects such as household items, clothing and toys. Additionally, many knitters fnd knitting to be a relaxing and calming exercise. Little is known about how disabled knitters use and beneft from knitting, and what accessibility solutions and challenges they create and encounter. We conducted interviews with 16 experienced, disabled knitters and analyzed 20 threads from six forums that discussed accessible knitting to identify how and why disabled knitters knit, and what accessibility concerns remain. We additionally conducted an iterative design case study developing knitting tools for a knitter who found existing solutions insufcient. Our innovations improved the range of stitches she could produce. We conclude by arguing for the importance of improving tools for both pattern generation and modifcation as well as adaptations or modifcations to existing tools such as looms to make it easier to track progress  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1907337
PAR ID:
10299725
Author(s) / Creator(s):
Date Published:
Journal Name:
ACM
ISSN:
0100-6940
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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