Locating assistive technology within an emancipatory disability research framework

Abstract

Assistive technology (AT) provides an interface between a disabled individual and his or her environment. Historically, AT practice and research has focused on how a device can augment or replace the function of an individual, with less emphasis on how the environment creates disabling conditions resulting in the need to use AT. Researchers have primarily used positivist approaches to study the impact of an AT, although there has been a more recent inclusion of qualitative approaches. Emancipatory disability research, with a focus on empowerment, reciprocity, relevance, and action against societal oppression, has had a minimal uptake in the AT field and yet holds great promise for addressing the environmental aspect of the person-AT-environment interaction.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the congruence between AT, the social model of disability, and emancipatory disability research. The aim is to demonstrate that those in the AT field can benefit by adopting emancipatory principles and approaches in conducting research, developing new technologies, and providing services to AT users. Research that addresses individual impairments while addressing the environmental barriers that create disability can co-exist; embracing both views will be essential to the future of AT.