Usability Evaluation of Assistive Technology for ICT Accessibility: Lessons Learned with Stroke Patients and Able-Bodied Participants Experiencing a Motor Dysfunction Simulation

The recruitment of disabled participants for conducting usability evaluation of accessible information and communication technologies (ICT) is a challenge that current research faces. To overcome these challenges, researchers have been calling upon able-bodied participants to undergo disability simulations. However, this practice has been criticized due to the different experiences and expectations that disabled and able-bodied participants may have with ICT. This paper presents the methodology and lessons learned from ongoing mixed method-based usability evaluation of a suboptimal conventional computer mouse and an assistive gesture-based interface (i.e., the Leap Motion Controller) by stroke patients with upper-limb impairment and able-bodied participants experiencing a motor dysfunction simulation. The paper concludes with recommendations for future multidisciplinary research on ICT accessibility by people with disabilities.