"It only needs to work for one of us": rethinking DIY deaf tech through situated co-design

Abstract

This experience report presents a real-world case in which a Deaf open water swimmer and their hearing kayak partner designed and developed a vibration-based system for attention signaling during long-distance swims. When mainstream accessibility tools failed to meet their needs, they built a lightweight, context-specific solution grounded in Deaf cultural practices and embodied knowledge. Through in-situ use and reflective practice, we examine how this do-it-yourself (DIY) tool emerged from relational design and Deaf-centered philosophy. Rather than offering a generalized solution, this work highlights the value of culturally grounded, small-scale technologies shaped by the lived experience of a Deaf swimmer and their collaboration with a hearing ally. We conclude with a call for research approaches and design platforms that empower Deaf communities to create technologies rooted in their own values, environments, and ways of being.