Technologies, Vol. 13, Pages 146: A Study on Chatbot Development Using No-Code Platforms by People with Disabilities for Their Peers at a Sheltered Workshop

Technologies doi: 10.3390/technologies13040146

Authors:
Sara Hamideh Kerdar
Britta Marleen Kirchhoff
Lars Adolph
Liane Bächler

No-code (NC) platforms empower individuals without IT experience to create tailored applications and websites. While these platforms are accessible to a broader audience, their usability for people with disabilities remains underexplored. This study investigated whether, with targeted training, people with disabilities could effectively use NC platforms to develop customized tools for their workplace, and whether these tools would be adopted by their peers. Conducted in collaboration with a sheltered workshop in Germany, the study had three phases. Phase I involved a brainstorming session with employees, which shaped the study design and product development. In Phase II, six participants with disabilities received a one-week training to develop chatbots. Phase III implemented the chatbots in the workshop. In Phase II, each participant successfully developed four chatbots, which increased the participants’ skills and motivation. Based on the phase III results, users rated the developed chatbots highly (the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire was delivered in the form of a chatbot), indicating their user-friendliness (M = 88.9, SD = 11.2). This study suggests that with appropriate training, individuals with disabilities can use NC platforms to create impactful, customized tools that are user-friendly and accessible to their peers.

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Sara Hamideh Kerdar www.mdpi.com