Disability, Technology, Art, Ethnography, Activism, and Access
Karen Nakamura, Professor
Anthropology
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed for this project.
The Berkeley Disability Lab (https://disabilitylab.berkeley.edu/) has been working on several projects involving disability, technology, art, activism, and access in the Bay Area. We welcome students from all fields of the university (arts, engineering, social sciences, communications, CS, design, music, architecture, etc.), and people with personal experience of disability or exclusion are particularly welcome.
Weekly Meetings: Attendance at weekly lab meeting (TBD) is mandatory, where progress, challenges, and next steps will be discussed.
Role: Tasks include:
1. Background research and reading
2. Research specific user needs
3. Design monitoring, evaluation, adaptation tech
4. Field test the adaptations / monitoring with user feedback
5. Writing up the design in a way that can be shared and hacked by the disability community
5. Iterate design
Students will learn how to conduct research into adaptive technology and design. They will learn how to conduct field interviews and run field tests and how to iterate feedback into the design process.
Qualifications: Qualifications: Students with lived experience with disabilities, neurodiversity, or environmental sensitivity are particularly invited to apply. Background experience with standard makerspace tools (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, 3D design tools, CNC, 3D printing, videography and editing, etc.) would be a plus but can also be learned through this lab.
We ask that members dedicate 6-8 a week to the URAP (3hrs for meetings; 3-5 for specific project work). Required: Students will need to agree with both a lab code of conduct agreement as well as lab equipment safety requirements and trainings.
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Gloria Kunder, Graduate Student
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Related website: https://disabilitylab.berkeley.edu/
Related website: http://disability.jp/nakamura