Designing for Collective Access: In Search of a Solution to Accessible Communication in a Mixed-Ability Non-Profit
2026-05-11 • Human-Computer Interaction
Human-Computer Interaction
AI summaryⓘ
The authors studied a nonprofit group that changed from focusing on blind athletes to including people with various disabilities. They found that when accessibility features help some people but make things harder for others, it’s not just a technical problem but a chance to think about different needs, rules for communication, and how the group works. The authors suggest that these conflicts show underlying power issues and can help make the organization more fair and responsible. So, dealing with access needs is about more than just solutions; it’s about understanding and improving relationships.
mixed-ability collaborationaccessibility featuresconflicting access needscommunication normsorganizational demandspower structuresaccountabilityinclusive designcross-disabilitynonprofit organizations
Authors
Xinru Tang, Anne Marie Piper
Abstract
As mixed-ability collaboration has become increasingly focal within accessibility research, managing varied, and sometimes conflicting, access needs has become a key consideration in designing for access. When an accessibility feature or practice benefits some people while constraining others, how should designers navigate these trade-offs? This paper responds to this question by analyzing how a mixed-ability nonprofit worked to make communication accessible to its members as it grew from a small blind-focused athletic group to a larger cross-disability organization. Based on a six-month study that combines interviews and field observations, we show that working with conflicting access needs is not just a technical 'problem' but a generative process that sparks reflection on technical constraints and preferences, diverse roles and communication norms, and organizational demands. We therefore argue for rethinking "conflicts" in access as key sites for revealing power structures and creating opportunities for accountability and repair.