Browsing by Author "Tuteja, Kanika"

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    Conference Paper
    Configurations of the User in the Trajectory of Wheelchairs in India: Learnings for the Socio-technical Design of Smart Assistive Devices
    (Proceedings of 21st European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, 2023) Tuteja, Kanika; Colombino, Tommaso; Tixier, Matthieu
    Many features of a wheelchair affect users' actions in a manual wheelchair, determining the overall mobility performance. Based on an ethnographic study of wheelchair users in India, we develop a trajectory analysis centered on the wheelchair as an artefact and the stages in its lifecycle from design to use. This paper focuses on the decisions made and practices in the production and acquisition phases and the consequences further down the line for the end user. In particular, we focus on how different configurations of the user across production and acquisition can make it difficult for users to find a wheelchair well adapted to their situated needs once they bring the artefact into their home and daily routines.
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    Conference Paper
    Towards a Trajectory Analysis of Wheelchair in an Indian Context
    (Companion Proceedings of the 2023 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, 2023) Tuteja, Kanika; Colombino, Tommaso; Tixier, Matthieu
    Our research investigates the trajectory of a wheelchair based on an observational fieldwork study in India. The fieldwork comprises four months of observational studies and interviews of different environments, including house visits, rehabilitation centers, surgical shops, hospital settings, and production houses. The thematic analysis describes an artifact proceeding through various stages, from production, acquisition, use, and discarding of the assistive device. To understand the challenges faced by people with a physical impairment, we examine the crucial decision points in the trajectory and put the user on the spot. Drawing on the fieldwork, we describe the elements involved that may or may not allow the users to make confident decisions, such as cost, retrofitting, etc., and how often it is too late to re-consider the choices made in the first place. We are interested in the diverse backgrounds and viewpoints of the other actors involved in the process, and the aim is to present the complexity of the whole ecosystem of the artifact.