Ludic Design for Accessibility in the Global South

Technology solutions for accessibility have long been created using a narrow utilitarian lens, especially in the Global South, due to multi-dimensional challenges and resource constraints: an emphasis on purely functional outcomes supported by sterile cost–benefit analysis that ignores the fact that people with disability are people first, with their own aspirations for leisure and enjoyment in addition to skills and employment. We propose an alternative design methodology called the ludic design for accessibility (LDA) that puts play and playfulness at the center of all assistive technology design and use. We then describe a seven-step framework for designers to apply this methodology to create impactful solutions. Though LDA is universally applicable, we highlight the factors that make it especially relevant in the context of accessibility in the Global South.