Not So Liminal Now: The Importance of Designing Privacy Features Across a Spectrum of Use

There are many communities of ubiquitous computing users that are on the periphery of society, and these liminal users are often left to negotiate their relationship with technology without the help and support provided to more mainstream users. One such community is formed around users of Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) technology. Changes in the commercial landscape have brought within reach dramatic improvements in AAC and made them more accessible and supportive to their user community. These improvements, though overwhelmingly positive, amplify a family of personal data management problems that are similar to those experienced by more typical ubiquitous computing users. This paper argues that information manaagement practices deployed by the AAC user community are ones that mainstream society may benefit from using. Accordingly, this paper explores a number of personal data management problems that arise during AAC use and considers how AAC users have developed work arounds and information management practices to protect their personal information. Whilst this paper is focused on AAC technology, the responses could be generalised for a broader spectrum of society.