Designing Ethical Wearable Accommodations Across Sensory, Attention, and Mental Health Domains

David Ruttenberg
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David Ruttenberg: University College London

No pu6r4_v1, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: Neurodivergent individuals—particularly autistic adults—face pervasive exclusion across educational, workplace, and community settings due to environments designed for neurotypical sensory and cognitive processing. This conceptual paper advances a comprehensive framework for designing AI-enabled, multi-sensory ethical wearable accommodations that address sensory overload, attentional dysregulation, and mental health vulnerability in real time. Grounded in the Sensory Sensitivity Mental Health Distractibility S²MHD theoretical model and informed by a previously implemented multi-sensory wearable architecture [2][5][39], the framework integrates just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAI), participatory design, and neurorights principles to ensure autonomy, consent, and data minimization. This paper presents three design archetypes—predictive crisis prevention, contextual environmental filtering, and personalized fatigue modeling—each illustrated through prospective use-case scenarios spanning lecture halls, corporate office environments, and social spaces. The paper articulates eight core ethical design principles and provides implementation guidelines. By reframing wearable accommodations as enablement infrastructure rather than deficit-oriented assistive technology, this work offers a blueprint for transforming systemic exclusion into inclusive opportunity.

Date: 2026-02-17
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:pu6r4_v1

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/pu6r4_v1

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