From Participation to Solidarity: A Case Study on Access of Maker Spaces from Deaf and Hearing Perspectives

This submission is an edited translation of an article previously published in German. Participatory methods open up research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) that aim at involving populations that are not traditionally represented. However, they do not require researchers to actively reflect on power relationships as would be required when aiming for transformative impact. In our case study of MACH’S AUF! , we show how research on accessibility of makerspaces for deaf people allowed us to develop a methodological concept of solidarity driven research that extends classical concepts of participation. We show how access to makerspaces has to be understood first and foremost as structured in a socio-technical manner, where communicative access for deaf people has to be provided through sign language. Our work provides a nuanced understanding of what access to makerspaces might entail from a marginalised perspective, as well as a methodological positionality that may support transformative research endeavours in the future.