Assistive technology patenting trends and the Americans with Disabilities Act

This article examines the ways in which the growing economic market for assistive technology (AT) may be analyzed in the context of effective implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It summarizes the results of an ongoing study of patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The purpose of the study is to examine how the ADA is fostering innovation and economic opportunity for AT developers, manufacturers, and retailers. The findings suggest that evaluations of the ADA based on its perceived costs to society need to be balanced by the range of societal benefits accruing from the law, including those unanticipated economic benefits found in the present study.