Physiological Signals for Ability-Based Design

Physiological signals can offer unique insights into how the human body functions. Recent advances in consumer-facing wearable technology enable physiological signals to act as an interface between the body and technology, and to improve human-technology interactions. This paper argues for how physiological signals can improve personalization with technology, specifically in support of ability-based design, where technology assumes the burden of better matching a user’s abilities. For example, we offer a scenario in which an athlete’s poor recovery, as measured through elevated resting heart rate, affects his ability to remember his schedule. His devices adapt to his state by pushing earlier and more frequent notifications to ensure meetings are not missed. In another scenario, we convey how sensing a user’s limited fine motor control can be used to adapt on-screen keyboards for more accurate texting. In yet another scenario, we describe how physiological signals can be used to detect fatigue and recommend alternative input techniques. We argue that by obtaining a direct window to the physiological state of a user, interactive systems can precisely measure and adapt to a user’s abilities.

Recommended citation: Claire L. Mitchell, Jacob O. Wobbrock. "Ability Heuristics for Conducting Accessibility Inspections." Workshop on “Towards Best Practices for Integrating Physiological Signals in HCI (PhysioCHI ’24).” ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’24). . Article No. 18.