This paper presents the process and results of a set of studies within the ABBI EU project, with the general aim to co-design wearable technology (an audio bracelet) together with visually impaired children, starting at a young age. The authors discuss user preferences related to sounds and tactile materials and present the results of a focus group with very young visually-impaired children under the age of 5, together with their parents. They find that multisensory feedback (visual, tactile/haptic, auditory) is useful and that preferences vary - also the drastic and potentially unpleasant sounds and materials may have a role. Further studies investigate the possibilities of using the ABBI wearable technology for social contexts and games. In a series of game workshops children with and without visual impairments created games with wearable technology employing very simple interactivity. The authors report the created games, and note that even with this simple interactivity it is possible to create fun, inclusive and rich socially co-located games.

This paper presents work done within the EU project STARR. Within the framework of the project technologies to empower and support stroke survivors are developed. We report on the iterative development of an outdoor activity game for stroke survivors, and discuss design choices, experiences from the initial testing and outline potential future developments.

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In the ActivAbles and STARR projects we are developing interactive training tools for stroke survivors. Our initial user studies pointed to balance being a key ability, therefore one of the developed tools is an interactive balance pad. Equipment exists for persons with good balance (eg. Wii), but most consumer games and exercises are less suited for many stroke survivors. The development process has been done in close collaboration with stroke survivors, and we have currently a prototype system that has been tested by 10 stroke survivors for a longer period in the home during a feasibility study. The system includes an interactive balance foam pad, feedback lamps and a step counting game app which all connect to a central server. The feedback is designed to be inclusive -designs are multimodal (visual and auditory), and the setup is flexible and can easily be adapted. In this paper we report and discuss the design of the system, pilot test results and the results from a feasibility study in the home. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing • Interaction design • Empirical studies in interaction design

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and highlight how Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) can contribute to the understanding of the different factors at play when a person is using augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). It is based on data from a 3-year project concerning activity-based vocabulary design of voice output communication aids (VOCAs). Four persons who used AAC and their assistants were interviewed about shopping activities and their views about a vocabulary that included pre-stored phrases. A CHAT model, the Activity Diamond, was applied in an analysis of the data. The result was a multiplicity of human, artifactual, and natural factors, in which six themes were identified: Attitude/Preference, Expectation/Trust, Goal/Power, Place/Space, Time/Learning, and Usability/Accessibility. The themes are exemplified and discussed in relation to AAC.