Low-Cost Accessible Switch System
Laura Oliveira, Katherine Escoto Licona, Katelyn Doan, Catherine Ton, Omar Ahmad, Catherine Darma
HuskyADAPT 2025
Design Showcase
Mission Statement
Create a database to educate families about accessible switch options as well as provide alternative ways to obtain switches that are more cost-effective.
- Accessible switches are expensive, with most going from $75 to $300
- Beyond cost, there's also a knowledge gap. People don't know what switches are, how they help or where to start
- ODMF shared that kids often use switches at school, but families aren’t aware or can’t access them at home.
- Borrowing switches feels risky, they can break during play
- Different users require different types of switches (e.g. button, tilt, puff, etc.)
- Our website helps families understand what switches are, where to get them, and how to make them at home for less
Fig 1. Picture from Adaptive Tech Solutions of various kinds of switches
DESIGN GOALS
- Accessibility: Build an easy-to-use website that explains how switches work and who they help
- Diversity: Include a range of switch types and DIY difficulty levels to fit different user needs
- Affordability: Share cost-effective options for families who can’t afford commercial switches
- Sustainability: Create a site that can grow and improve with future contributions
Fig 2. The inside of the DIY Sanwa Switch
Fig 3. Soldering components together
Fig 4. Testing DIY switch with LED breadboard circuit
PROTOTYPING/PROCESS
- Moved the site from Google Sites to GitHub for better accessibility and long-term maintenance
- Researched various types of switches then applied findings to website
- Chose a variety of DIYs with different skill levels and price points so more families could find an option that works for them
- Tested 11 online DIY guides to check how clear, reliable, and easy they are to replicate
Fig 5-6. Pictures of some switches we have completed together: (left) tilt switch, (middle) Sanwa switch, and (right) light touch/rain drop switch)
FINAL DESIGN
- Built with Markdown and hosted on GitHub to support screen readers and assistive tools
- Includes pages for each switch type, with links to buy or build them using DIY guides
- Designed to support a range of user needs and skill levels, making switches more inclusive
- GitHub is open source so people can add their own research and DIYs in the future
Website Pages:
1. Introduction to accessible switches
2. About us
3–7. Different types of switches
8. More resources
NEXT STEPS
- Have the open-source website be continuously worked on by those interested in helping the community
- Do more user testing to enhance the quality, navigability, and accessibility of the website
- Research more types of unique, accessible DIY switches to build/add to website
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to our Needs Experts from Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF), Diana Sanda, as well as Danielle Van Dusen, and Tony Fast from CREATE for their assistance and guidance throughout the project.