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Technology--an unfulfilled promise for the handicapped.
Medical Progress Through Technology
|January 1, 1983
Summary
Rehabilitation engineering uses science to reduce handicaps for people with disabilities. Technology can help overcome barriers but may also create new challenges by raising unattainable goals.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation engineering
- Disability studies
- Assistive technology
Background:
- A handicap is a consequence of disability impacting daily life, vocation, and recreation.
- The severity of a handicap results from the interplay between disability, environment, and personal life goals.
- Technology's role in handicaps is complex, potentially reducing or increasing them.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the application of sciences in rehabilitation engineering.
- To analyze the design, development, and distribution of assistive technologies.
- To examine the service-delivery system for individuals with disabilities.
Main Methods:
- Critical examination of the service-delivery system.
- Analysis of the design-development-production process for technical devices.
- Review of research areas in technology for the handicapped.
Main Results:
- Technology can overcome functional barriers but may also raise life goals beyond current technical capabilities.
- Challenges exist in the development and distribution of assistive devices.
- The effectiveness of assistive technology depends on information and evaluation within the service-delivery system.
Conclusions:
- Recommendations are provided to address barriers hindering technology access for persons with disabilities.
- Further research is needed in developing and delivering effective technological solutions.
- Optimizing assistive technology requires a holistic approach considering individual needs and environmental interactions.