Who Invented the Possum? What Historians Can Learn from Disabled Innovation in Britain's Responaut Communities

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• History of Science and Technology
• Science and Technology Studies

Background:

• Disabled innovation and expertise have historically been undervalued.
• The "Crip Technoscience Manifesto" highlighted the devaluation of disabled technology modification.
• Understanding collective contributions to science and technology requires examining disabled innovation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore disabled innovation and its impact on the history of science and technology.
• To analyze how user networks transformed individual inventions into collective disabled expertise.
• To combine disability history with science and technology studies through case examples.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of technologies discussed in "Responaut," a British quarterly magazine (1963-1989).
• Tracking the development of specific technologies: the Selectascan/Possum and the adapted Loudspeaking Telephone.
• Examining the role of user networks in galvanizing individual inventions.

Main Results:

• User networks were crucial in developing and disseminating disabled expertise.
• The study identified a wide range of technological adaptations made by respirator-dependent individuals (Responauts).
• Disabled individuals actively modified technologies to improve their quality of life and personal environments.

Conclusions:

• Disabled innovation represents a significant, yet often overlooked, contribution to technological advancement.
• Recognizing "disabled expertise" is essential for a comprehensive understanding of science and technology history.
• Further research integrating disability history and science and technology studies is warranted.