Domain 4: Adaptive and Assistive Technology

“Improving the assistive technology system means developing and strengthening its four components: products, provision, personnel and policies. Where possible, assistive technology should be integrated within health and social care systems.”

– WHO and UNICEF, Global Report on Assistive Technology^[1]

Among Canadians with physical disabilities, 45 percent require at least one type of aid or assistive device or an accessibility feature in their home.^[2]   Assistive technology refers to products and devices that are designed to assist individuals with disabilities in performing everyday tasks, and to enhance functionality, comfort, and mobility. In recent decades, industrial designers have worked to create products that are both stylish and functional for individuals with disabilities, such as hearing aids, prosthetics, and adaptive equipment.  Adaptive technology refers to devices, tools, or systems that are modified or customized to meet the needs of people with disabilities and help them perform tasks more efficiently – tasks that they would otherwise be unable to complete. It is an adaptation of their technological environment to meet their needs.  The difference between adaptive and assistive technology is subtle, and there is such a liberal overlap that they are nearly synonyms, and are generally treated as such in this Scan.

Such technology can include both low-tech solutions such as canes, magnifying glasses, and eyeglasses; and high-tech solutions such as speech recognition software, hearing aids, and electronic wheelchairs.  Access to assistive technology for children with disabilities is vital to access education, participation in sports and civic life, and preparing for employment. Children living with disabilities have the additional challenge of requiring much more frequent adjustments or replacements of their assistive products as they grow.

There are now thousands of organizations – commercial and nonprofit; academic and community-focused – across North America involved in co-designing, developing, testing, disseminating, and utilizing adaptive technologies.  Locally, the Calgary Adaptive Hub convenes groups designing, testing, and using adaptive technologies.

Last year, the Global Report on Assistive Technology presented for the first time “a comprehensive dataset and analysis of current assistive technology access, drawing the attention of governments and civil society to the need for, and benefit of, assistive technology, including its return on investment. The Global report, produced by the World Health Organization and UNICEF sets out ten recommendations for improving access to assistive technology, which in turn support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, inclusive Universal Health Coverage, and alignment with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.”^[3]  Among the report’s many findings, the majority of the world’s people who require assistive technology don’t have access, there are extremes of access inequality among nations (from a low of 3% to a high of 90%), and by 2050 it is estimated that 3.5 billion people will require some form of assistive technology.^[4]  The Report makes a powerful appeal for integrating all of the design-frameworks discussed in this Scan, overlaid on a rights-based framework:

“There are many barriers to accessing assistive technology, including lack of awareness and affordability, lack of services, inadequate product quality, range and quantity, and procurement and supply chain challenges. There are also capacity gaps in the assistive technology workforce, and a low policy profile for the sector. In addition, people may also face barriers related to their age, gender, type and extent of functional difficulty, living environment and socioeconomic status. It is therefore important that strategies to improve access to safe, effective and affordable assistive technology employ a people-centred, rights-based approach, actively engaging users in all aspects of assistive technology.”^[5]

To further explore Domain 4: Adaptive and Assistive Technology, click to explore the sub-domains below:

Evolution and Future of Adaptive Tech

Biomedical and Biomechanical Technology

Industrial and Artisanal Design