Regina Lawn Bowling Club Open-source Accessibility Project

Abstract

This critical engagement paper supports and documents an interdisciplinary project, integrating maker culture, people-centered design, and community-based research to address key issues identified by the members of the Regina Lawn Bowling Club (RLBC) community, including concerns around the ability of the aging members to continue participating in the sport, potential for addressing social isolation, and other concerns related to health and wellness. The questions guiding my creative research were: (1) How could integrating maker culture, people-centered design, and community-based research address identified concerns by the RLBC such as isolation, engagement, and accessibility to continue play and social involvement?; and (2) What kinds of innovative technologies could we produce and build together to create sustainable social connections for the aging community at the Regina Lawn Bowling Club? With the support of the Regina Lawn Bowling Club community, (including consultation, collaboration, and user testing), I designed two devices: an inclusively designed music playing device called the User-Friendly Jukebox (UFJ) and an inclusively designed, electronic-based lawn bowling bowl distance measuring device called the Easy-Shot. This report will discuss the projects and the results of evaluation as a community-based project.