Makerspace Meeting:

• Accessibility Audit: Met with the Makerspace manager to discuss conducting an accessibility audit to identify barriers for individuals with disabilities.
• Immediate Solution: We agreed on a portable tour guide speaker and microphone set as a quick win to improve accessibility for visitors.
• Space Layout Review: Examined the current layout of the Makerspace to identify potential areas for improvement, such as wider aisles, designated quiet zones, and accessible workstations.
• Next Steps: Before proposing specific solutions, I will gather more detailed information about the space's dimensions, layout, and current usage patterns.

Thesis Research:

• Topic Selection: I've decided to focus my thesis on "design for accessibility in the age of AI," exploring how AI can be leveraged to create more inclusive and accessible environments.
• Literature Review: I'm currently reviewing foundational literature in the fields of disability studies, speculative design, and AI accessibility.
• Key Areas of Exploration: I'm particularly interested in exploring how AI can be used to:
  • Identify and address accessibility barriers: For example, using computer vision to detect physical obstacles or natural language processing to provide real-time captioning.
  • Create personalized experiences: Tailoring the environment to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
• Speculative Design
  • "Speculative Design: Imagining Alternative Futures" by Dunne & Raby
  • "Speculative Design and Social Innovation" by Dunne & Raby
  • "Speculative Design as a Method for Critical Engagement" by Dunne & Raby
• Disability Studies
  • "Disability and the Digital Divide" by Paul K. Bridges
  • "The Spirit of the Disability Pantomime" by Lennard J. Davis
  • "Disability Studies: An Introduction" by Lennard J. Davis