Choice is not an option

Abstract

In the UK, for several decades disabled people have advocated for equal access to public spaces, evident in the work of the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation. However, whilst spaces continuously change, including the provision of more self-service technology it is important to investigate the impact this has on disabled people. Oliver (1990) contends new technologies should be used to liberate disabled people as opposed to further disabling them. However, new technology can further disable people with impairments (Ergard & Hansson, 2021; Jokisuu et al., 2016; Sheldon, 2003). Whilst existing research shows that self-service technologies are disabling for a range of consumers, this paper seeks to understand the particular experiences of people with dwarfism and how they interact with them due to a mismatch in height. Drawing on interviews with people with dwarfism, living in the UK, this paper engages with Mick and Fournier’s (1998) paradoxes of technological products conceptual framework to explore their consumer experiences, including the resultant emotional impact when using self-service technology. The results show that people with dwarfism engage in numerous coping strategies to deal with them, including dependency, interacting with the facility differently and avoidance.