TronicBoards: an accessible electronics toolkit for people with intellectual disabilities

Engagement with electronic toolkits enhances people's creative abilities, self-esteem, problem-solving skills and enables the creation of personally meaningful artifacts. A variety of simplified electronics toolkits are increasingly available to help different user groups engage with technology. However, they are often inaccessible for people with intellectual disabilities (IDs), who experience a range of cognitive and physical impairments. We designed and developed TronicBoards, a curated set of accessible electronic modules, to address this gap. We evaluated it one-on-one with 10 participants using a guided exploration approach. Our analysis revealed that participants were able to create simple sensor-based interactive circuits with varying levels of assistance. We report the strengths and weaknesses of TronicBoards, considering participants' successes and challenges in manipulating and comprehending toolkit components, circuit building activities, and troubleshooting processes. We discuss implications for designing inclusive electronics toolkits for people with IDs, particularly in considering design elements that improve functionality, comprehensibility and agency.