DIY in Action: Understanding Do-It-Yourself Practices from Tangible Symbol Cards

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) assistive technology can be better suited to the needs of people with disabilities than commercial ‘off-the-shelf’ devices. Yet, DIY practices conventionally involve barriers to entry that can dissuade or intimidate practitioners. Tangible symbols (TS) are low-tech augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) products with a history of practitioners working alongside end-users to DIY. In this paper, we study the enthusiasm and practice of DIY with TS. We present results from an initial investigation into DIY practices by practitioners that use TS. We analyze survey data collected by Brady et al. (2025) from 107 respondents, and 73 self-reported customizing their TS products to meet the needs and contexts of the individuals they serve. We share the survey self-reported motivations for engaging in DIY activities. We find that this data offers evidence that there is sustained enthusiasm in DIY with TS by practitioners. We reflect on these findings and draw connections between DIY and assistive technology abandonment, and how commercial products can be designed to support DIY practice. The use of DIY by practitioners signals both a desire to further integrate DIY into their profession, and an interest in future assistive technology products that employ a similar DIY-centered design framework.