Surrogate Users

Individuals who stand in for actual end users during design and evaluation processes, typically used when direct user involvement is impractical, ethically problematic, or insufficient. In accessibility research, surrogate users may include actors trained to portray people with disabilities, researchers with simulated impairments, or caregivers representing user needs. While surrogate users enable design exploration without burdening vulnerable populations, their use requires careful consideration of authenticity and representation. The most effective approaches, such as theater in design, invest significant effort in research and script development to ensure surrogate portrayals accurately reflect real user experiences.