Disability Rights and Robotics: Developing co-production methodologies for the user-centered and community centered design of robots.

Aims

• Provide an opportunity to develop understanding around co-production methodologies for user and user and community led robotics design that promote disability rights.

• Provide an opportunity to gain understanding of the different contexts of the Global South and Global North for socially just, relevant innovation

• To encourage the formation of international networks for future initiatives.

• To encourage participation, each session will have a discussant facilitating focused dialogue on these objectives.

Who it will benefit

The tutorial is designed for attendees involved in the design of robotics technology with a commitment to the promotion of disability rights as a central requirement for inclusive innovation in robotics technology.

What you will learn

• The session will share and use inclusive methods including community video, community cartoon, and co-researcher blog posts.

• The tutorial will keep to an accessible pace and provide materials in advance on the tutorial webpage.

• Gives examples of different cross disciplinary methods of co- production research from the UK involving people with lived experience of disability, mental health and family caring.

• Identifies ethical concerns, potential opportunities and priorities for future research and illustrate the value of co- production.

• Presents examples of research, community engagement and theoretical development from the perspective of academic leads in the Global South and the Global North raising questions around community level development, inequality and access to innovation.

• Demonstrates an online version of a method of evaluation specifically designed for co- production (Gibson et al.2021) that asks for feedback on how participants considered themselves part of the co-production processes. The tool generates a visual picture across a cube axis of involvement which is used to initiate a collective discussion and development of co-production methodology going forward.

Statement of Inclusion and Diversity

We will make arrangements for inclusion and diversity by providing materials in advance and in accessible formats. Discussants will facilitate the Q&A sessions to ensure focus and voice for all. The tutorial is especially interested in the questions of relevance, ethics and opportunities for Global North and Global South and will focus on marginalised perspectives. The whole tutorial is about disability rights.