This thesis aims to investigate digital accessibility in the making through the theoretical lens of the assemblage theory. Digital accessibility is a characteristic of digital products and services like websites that allows people with disabilities to access and use them. Although its relevance, digital accessibility is not present in many technological objects. This work intends to describe the adoption of accessibility practices in developing projects and products, focusing mainly on design activities. My leading field site was a tech company located in Stockholm, Sweden, where I observed the “accessibility project” for almost three months, from October to December 2021. During this period, I followed how the company, particularly one of its teams, reacted to new environmental factors, the challenges they faced, and how the process of incorporating these new elements was, from not having accessibility presented in the produced artefacts to incorporating accessibility as a routine. In addition, the study also counted on the participation of Brazilian design practitioners through interviews. The methods were observant participation, semi-structured interviews, and oral accounts.  The main theoretical frameworks were the assemblage theory developed by Manuel DeLanda (2016) and the theory of affordances by Jenny L. Davis (2020). I attempt to analyse the organisation and its nested structures as assemblages, and the processes of changes in their parameters, creating new territory and new code through the adoption of accessibility repertoire. I furthermore analysed the relations between the affordances of technological objects produced by the company’s assemblage, as well as the affordance of accessibility frameworks.

This dissertation examines the culture and climate of disabled people and the disability community within society and the engineering field and the experience of disabled students in higher education. The theoretical lenses utilized is the Technology Acceptance Model which emphasizes the importance of end user's perspectives, and the Social Model of Disability which sees the world and society as disabling rather than the imposition of disability on a person. The perception of disability in engineering is examined through the use of a systematic literature review within Chapter 3 by comparing general engineering academic literature and engineering education literature housed within the American Society of Engineering Education national database. Chapter 4 of this dissertation quantitatively examines the digital accessibility landscape of learning management systems utilized within engineering and engineering related courses that first and second year engineering students are required to take. Finally, Chapter 5 utilized a mixed method approach to examine disabled and non-disabled engineering students' perspectives on the usability of their Learning Management System within their engineering courses. The second part of this research study utilizes individual design interviews to have students redesign their Canvas experiences such that it minimizes digital accessibility barriers. Chapter 6 details tangible digital accessibility recommendations for developers, designers, and instructors/content managers. These recommendations are based on the results within the previous chapters of this dissertation. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation examines the culture and climate of disabled people and the disability community within society and the engineering field and the experience of disabled students in higher education. The research presented is understood by looking at disability as not a detriment to the individual and is imposed by society. Chapter 3 talks about how disabled people are and are not included within the engineering field. It compares a more general engineering academic literature with engineering education academic literature from American Society of Engineering Education national proceedings. The second study researches the accessibility of engineering and engineering related course websites from a higher education institution. This research shows the most common digital accessibility errors that are found along with the types of web pages that have the most accessibility errors. Finally, the third study researches the digital accessibility barriers encountered by disabled and nondisabled engineering students. These results are broken down by the specific disability that was disclosed by the participant. Chapter 6 details tangible digital accessibility recommendations for developers, designers, and instructors/content managers. These recommendations are based on the results within the previous chapters of this dissertation.

In an increasingly digital world, the accessibility of digital services is an important question of inclusion. Despite judicial requirements for accessibility of digital public services, the inclusion of accessibility into design practices is a new research area.   This research project explores how to facilitate the inclusion of accessibility into design practices by creating a methodology that centres around an accessibility maturity assessment. The result of the assessment forms the basis for the selection of design methods that are mapped to the attributes of the model.   Preliminary research consists of an interview study, desk research and unorganized research activities. A case study is conducted at the Swedish Tax Agency, the result of which form the basis of the design intervention. Case study data is analysed with the help of an accessibility maturity model, which also serves as the core of the design intervention. For the intervention, adapted, proven design methods are connected to the attributes of the accessibility maturity model. A proof of concept is created in the form of a handbook and validated with designers and employees at the Tax Agency. The validation shows that there is promise in the proposed methodology, as the use of the design practices ensure that accessibility is a part of the entire design process. Further research should investigate the use of the handbook in a case study in order to consolidate the practicalities of the methodology, as well as validate the utility of the methodology in a practical application.   Keywords: digital accessibility, digital public service, maturity model, accessibility maturity assessment, UX practices, universal design, disability   Contact: linneamichel@gmail.com

Today's digital products, services and experiences need to be designed with accessibility in mind in order to provide equal opportunities in use and enjoyment for the growing group of users with permanent, temporary and situational impairments. However, the topic still seems to be an afterthought in practice. With the research question 'What are the enablers and inhibitors for integrating accessibility into digital design processes from a systemic perspective?', this thesis aims to identify factors that drive or hinder accessibility efforts among design practitioners in Germany and how these factors may interrelate. Accessibility integration is therefore defined as a system. The research is based on a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with four UX Designers, two UI Designers and one Chief Creative Officer with varying experiences regarding accessibility in past projects. By conducting a content analysis, the responses are grouped into categories and further visualized in the form of system archetypes to understand systemic behavior. The findings indicate that integration of accessibility into digital design processes is influenced by many enabling and inhibiting factors, of technical, individual, societal, institutional, regulatory, economic and financial as well as cliental and organizational nature, turning the topic into a complex, wicked problem. While economic reasons were a dominant force driving the system's behavior, it appears that the underlying mental models of all actors involved are significantly contributing to the state of accessibility in design practice.

Tillgänglighet på offentliga aktörers webbplatser är väsentligt för att säkerställa att alla individer i ett samhälle har tillgång till samhällsviktig information. Trots detta är det många webbplatser som saknar tillgänglighetsanpassningar. Tillgänglighet på webbplatser innebär att de bör vara lättnavigerade och lättlästa samt att det finns tillgänglighetsanpassningar för personer med synnedsättningar, funktionsvariationer eller rörelsehinder. År 2019 trädde lagen om tillgänglighet till digital offentlig service (DOS-lagen) i kraft, lagen stadgar krav på tillgänglighet till digital service som tillhandahålls av offentliga aktörer. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om DOS-lagen har haft en effekt på svenska myndigheters tillgänglighetsarbete och hur väl de följer och tillämpar lagen. Genom att utvärdera tillgängligheten på sex myndigheters webbplatser och intervjuer med personer som arbetar på svenska myndigheter har ett resultat sammanställts. Utvärderingarna visade att myndigheternas webbplatser erhöll de tillgänglighetsanpassningar som DOS-lagen ställer som krav. Förbättringsmöjligheter har identifierats, de största bristerna från utvärderingen var tillgänglighetsanpassade pdf:er och en mer konsekvent navigation och utformning. Intervjuerna gav en inblick i hur arbetet kring tillgänglighetsanpassningar gick till på svenska myndigheter och att DOS-lagen varit ett uppvaknande för att skapa mer förståelse och standardiserade arbetssätt kring digital tillgänglighet. Det är viktigt att belysa att denna studien är av en mindre skala vilket gör det svårt att generalisera till majoriteten av svenska myndigheter. Det betonar att framtida studier kan genomföras med fler myndigheter för att få ett bredare perspektiv. / Accessibility on public entities websites is crucial to ensure that all individuals in a society have access to vital societal information. Despite this, many websites lack accessibility adaptations. Web accessibility means that websites should be easy to navigate and read, and should include accommodations for individuals with visual impairments, disabilities, or mobility challenges. In 2019, the Digital Public Service Accessibility Act (DOS-act) came into effect, imposing accessibility requirements on digital services provided by public entities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the DOS-act on the accessibility efforts of Swedish authorities and how well they adhere to and implement the law. By evaluating the accessibility of six agency websites and conducting interviews with individuals working in Swedish authorities, a set of findings has been compiled. The evaluations revealed that the agencies' websites met the accessibility adaptations required by the DOS-act. Areas for improvement were identified, with the main shortcomings from the evaluation being accessible PDFs and more consistent navigation and design. The interviews provided insight into the process of implementing accessibility adaptations in Swedish authorities and highlighted that the DOS-act has served as an awakening to foster greater understanding and standardized approaches to digital accessibility. It is important to note that this study is of limited scope, which makes it challenging to generalize to the majority of Swedish authorities. This emphasizes that future studies could be conducted with more agencies togain a broader perspective.

Modern society is constantly changing paradigms resulting from the process of globalization and the advancement of technologies in the areas of communication and information technology. These changes give rise to a number of dilemmas for existing models in education, especially those developed for those with some limitations such as the visually impaired. The objective of this work is to propose a model of online activities for the blind using a virtual environment of inclusive learning, based on the Salmon model, as well as to propose a methodology in virtual learning environments. The proposed model is important from the point of view of inclusion, since it aims to work with the target audience of the visually impaired in the context of distance education. In order to validate the model, four distance learning courses were applied to special people (blind), using a virtual learning environment accessible called Eduquito, which was chosen because it has the 3 accessibility stamps. The model was formalized through the Petri network, which is an important mathematical and graphical tool that allows to analyze several types of systems, where it presents two types of vertices called place and transition. Transitions are represented by bars and places by circles, always being directed by arcs, from place to place, and from place to place. The results were: the system reached the objectives proposed as accessibility, motivation and knowledge acquisition; the special students (visually impaired) were satisfied and when they participated in the courses and the majority of the students approved the courses realized. This research contributed to special education, since it ratified that all human beings are equal, so it is not necessary to treat blind people as different because they can not see. After all, these people yearn for learning, they want to build new things and in this way expand their possibilities to broaden their communication, develop their skills and reach ever higher levels. / A sociedade moderna vive uma constante mudança de paradigmas decorrente do processo de globalização e do avanço das tecnologias nas áreas de comunicação e tecnologia da informação. Essas mudanças ocasionam uma série de dilemas para os modelos existentes na educação, principalmente nos desenvolvidos para quem possui alguma limitação como no caso dos deficientes visuais. O objetivo deste trabalho é propor um modelo de atividades online para cegos usando um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem inclusivo, com base no modelo de Salmon, como também propor uma metodologia em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. O modelo proposto é importante do ponto de vista da inclusão, já que objetiva trabalhar com o público-alvo os deficientes visuais no contexto de educação a distância. Com a finalidade de validar o modelo, foi aplicado quatro cursos de educação a distância para pessoas especiais (cegos), utilizando um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem acessível denominado Eduquito, o qual foi escolhido em virtude possuir os 3 selos de acessibilidade. Foi feito a formalização do modelo através da rede de Petri, a qual é uma importante ferramenta matemática e gráfica que permite analisar vários tipos de sistemas, onde apresenta dois tipos de vértices denominados lugar e transição. As transições são representadas por barras e os lugares por círculos, sendo direcionados sempre por arcos, de lugar para transição e de transição para lugar. Os resultados foram: o sistema atingiu os objetivos propostos como acessibilidade, motivação e obtenção do conhecimento; os alunos especiais (deficientes visuais) se mostraram satisfeitos ao participarem dos cursos e a maioria dos alunos aprovaram os cursos realizados. A presente pesquisa contribuiu na educação especial, pois ratificou que todos os seres humanos são iguais, sendo assim, não é necessário tratar as pessoas cegas como diferentes porque não conseguem enxergar. Afinal de contas, estas pessoas anseiam por um aprendizado, desejam construir coisas novas e desta forma, expandir as suas possibilidades para ampliar a sua comunicação, desenvolver suas habilidades e atingirem patamares cada vez mais altos.

Introduktion: Digitaliseringens påverkan på samhället och individen är omfattande – samt genomsyrar samtliga dimensioner av folkhälsans bestämningsfaktorer. Därtill tillskrivs digital inkludering som en betydande social bestämningsfaktor för människors hälsa. Digital delaktighet och tillgänglighet är betydelsefulla faktorer för personer med ryggsmärtor i och med att fysiska begränsningar försvårar möjligheten till delaktighet i samhället. Delaktighet är en betydelsefull komponent i ett rättvist och demokratiskt samhälle. Syfte: Studiens syfte var att undersöka på vilket sätt digitaliseringen påverkar delaktighet och tillgänglighet för kvinnor med begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Metod: Studiens design var kvalitativ – i vilket 3 fokusgruppsintervjuer och innehållsanalys med en induktiv ansats var studiens metoder. Urvalet bestod av totalt 18 kvinnor ifrån olika patientföreningar – med erfarenheter eller kunskaper av begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Resultat: Studien visade att digitaliseringen främjar social och samhällelig delaktighet för målgruppen. Dessutom framkom att digitaliseringen främjar egenmakt att delta, skapar en känsla av gemenskap, förtydligar informations- och kommunikationsmöjligheterna samt förtydligar utanförskap. Digital gemenskap med hjärtat i mitten är den modell som bäst beskriver studiens resultat och digitaliseringens betydelser för människan bakom datorskärmen. Att digitaliseringen både främjar och underlättar delaktighet inom flera betydelsefulla sammanhang samtidigt som individens egenmakt stärktes förtydligades. Slutsats: Studiens slutats är att digitaliseringen har stor potential att främja delaktighet, tillgänglighet och gemenskap för personer med begränsande nack- eller ryggtillstånd. Det fina med digital delaktighet är dess inkluderande och hälsofrämjande inverkan på individen och individens livssituation. Dock finns det flera utmaningar med digitaliseringen som behöver belysas – såsom utanförskap och den digitala klyftan. / Introduction: The impact of digitization on society and the individual is extensive – and permeates all dimensions of the determinants of public health. In addition, digital inclusion is attributed as a significant social determinant of people's health. Digital participation and accessibility are important factors for people with back pain in that physical limitations make it difficult to participate in society. Participation is an important component of a democratic society. Aim: The purpose of the study was to investigate how digitization affects participation and accessibility for women with limiting neck or back conditions. Methods: The study's design was qualitative – in which 3 focus group interviews and content analysis with an inductive approach were the study's methods. The selection consisted of 18 women from various patient associations – all with experience or knowledge of limiting neck or back conditions. Results: The study's results showed that digitization promoted social and societal participation for the target group. In addition, it emerged that digitization promotes empowerment to participate, creates a sense of community, clarifies the information and communication possibilities and better reveals exclusion. Digital community with the heart in the middle describes the results of the study and the implications of digitization for the person behind the computer. It was made clear that digitization both promotes and facilitates participation within several important contexts while strengthening the individual's empowerment. Conclusion: The study concluded that digitization has great potential to promote participation, accessibility and community for people with limiting neck or back conditions. The beauty of digital participation is its inclusive and health promoting impact on the individual and the individual's life situation. There are several challenges with digitization that need to be highlighted – such as the digital divide.