Between Stigma and Swipe: An Examination of Dating Apps for Disabled Users Through the Lens of the Access–Choice–Pleasure Model

Over the past decade, dating apps have become an increasingly pop- ular way of seeking intimacy, yet they frequently exclude disabled individuals. In this work, we focus on dating apps as a significant and expanding platform for pursuing intimacy for disabled people. Through a fully anonymous qualitative online survey that covers diverse aspects of online dating, we examine the motivations and experiences of 44 disabled people who have previously used and/or are currently using any dating app. Through our findings, we reveal both the social barriers and stigma surrounding dating experiences of disabled people, and how app design reproduces these, collec- tively shaping users’ experiences. In our discussion, we situate our findings within Pikkel’s recent Access–Choice–Pleasure Model [43] from Disability Studies, showing how disabled users’ experiences with dating apps can be understood through this lens. We then pro- vide design examples that illustrate how dating apps could foster accessible, autonomous and pleasurable experiences for disabled users, thereby informing researchers and designers in this space.