Nils Messerschmidt

Ronaldo Nombakuse, Nils Messerschmidt, Pitso Tsibolane et al.

Our study explores how intelligent assistive technologies (IATs) can enable visually impaired people (VIPs) to overcome barriers to inclusion in a digital society to ultimately improve their quality of life. Drawing on the Social Model of Disability (SMD), which frames disability as a consequence of social and institutional barriers rather than individual impairments, we employ semi-structured interviews and an online qualitative survey with n=61 VIPs in South Africa. Using descriptive statistics and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), we uncover nine configurations, clustered along three broader combinations of conditions, that support and hinder IAT-mediated inclusion. Most notably, we identify that the autonomy of VIPs and the accessibility of IATs are primary predictors of IAT's ability to achieve social participation. Our findings contribute to Information Systems (IS) literature at the intersection of technology and social participation. We further formulate implications for research and policymakers to foster social inclusion of VIPs in the Global South.

Nils Messerschmidt, Kilian Sprenkamp, Amir Sartipi et al.

E-participation platforms are an important asset for governments in increasing trust and fostering democratic societies. By engaging public and private institutions and individuals, policymakers can make informed and inclusive decisions. However, current approaches of primarily static nature struggle to integrate citizen feedback effectively. Drawing on the Media Richness Theory and applying the Design Science Research method, we explore how a chatbot can address these shortcomings to improve the decision-making abilities for primary stakeholders of e-participation platforms. Leveraging the "Have Your Say" platform, which solicits feedback on initiatives and regulations by the European Commission, a Large Language Model-based chatbot, called AskThePublic is created, providing policymakers, journalists, researchers, and interested citizens with a convenient channel to explore and engage with citizen input. Evaluating AskThePublic in 11 semi-structured interviews with public sector-affiliated experts, we find that the interviewees value the interactive and structured responses as well as enhanced language capabilities.