Con mucha alegría les comparto el segundo artículo de mi investigación doctoral, que se enfoca en la evaluación de usabilidad de 3 tecnologías personales de confort térmico con personas con discapacidad intelectual en Chile. Este artículo me llena de orgullo por varios motivos: Primero, porque se enfoca en aspectos de diseño de interacción y usabilidad en relación al entorno construido, un tema poco cubierto en los estudios de confort térmico. Segundo, porque pone a las personas con discapacidad intelectual en el centro del estudio, lo cual es cada vez más importante considerando que la vida independiente es ahora una opción real y promovida en sus vidas. Y tercero, porque el análisis y resultados de esta investigación fueron realizados durante mi pasantía en Center for the Built Environment (CBE) donde conocí a Alessandra Luna Navarro quien es co-autora de este trabajo y con quien creo que construiremos muchas más colaboraciones en el futuro.
El artículo está abierto para su descarga gratuita durante los primeros 30 días.
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I am very pleased to share the second article from my doctoral research, which focuses on a usability evaluation of three personal thermal comfort systems with people with intellectual disabilities in Chile. This article fills me with pride for several reasons: First, because it focuses on interaction design and usability related to the built environment, a topic that is rarely covered in thermal comfort studies. Second, because it places people with intellectual disabilities at the center of the study, which is increasingly important given that independent living is now a real and promoted option in their lives. And third, because the analysis and results of this research were conducted during my research visit at the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), where I met Alessandra Luna Navarro, who is a co-author of this work and with whom I believe we will build many more collaborations in the future.
The article is available for free download for the first 30 days.
Abstract
This study assessed the usability of three readily available Personalized Thermal Control Systems (PECS)—an electric blanket, a small personal fan, and a large pedestal fan—among individuals with intellectual disabilities living independently in energy poverty conditions in Chile. The research aimed to identify the primary usability challenges that affect the adoption and operational effectiveness of these technologies and, consequently, their potential to enhance thermal comfort. Results indicated that devices with more advanced control features, i.e. the large pedestal fan, presented the most significant usability challenges, followed by the electric blanket and the small personal fan. Key usability issues included poor visibility, inadequate material choice, ineffective communication, bad affordance, and inadequate levels of touch sensitivity of the control interface in these PECS. The study also showed a large variance in the level of adoption of the PECS among participants, thereby indicating that users have different individual attitudes, ranging from passive acceptance to proactive exploration and use. To conclude, this study advocates for the necessity of developing easily operable PECS that cater to the specific needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, thereby supporting their autonomy and improving their quality of life in thermally comfortable environments.
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