Discussion

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Assistive Technology as ‘assistive products and related systems and services developed for individuals to maintain or improve functioning, and thereby promote well-being’ (WHO, 2016). It can be more specifically defined as technology that is used on an ongoing basis to support individuals with disabilities to become more independent. Despite the continuous process of innovation and development of new assistive technologies, it is important to assess if persons with disabilities are actually willing to use these technologies.

To find this out, we asked respondents with different types of disabilities whether they would use 13 types of digital assistive technologies. Most respondents, irrespective of the type of their impairments or disabilities, would welcome and frequently use wearables, AI alerts, and robots. Previous studies have also confirmed that persons with certain disabilities might highly benefit from these assistive technologies. For example, Cook, Encarnação & Adams (2010) agreed that robots could assist persons with mobility impairments in play and academic activities. They not only allow them to actively participate in the activities, with direct impact on the development of their cognitive, social, and linguistic skills, but also provide a means to assess children’s understanding of cognitive concepts when standard tests cannot be used due to physical or language limitations.

Despite the high intention to use wearables, and the increasing use of such technology for work, home, and leisure activities, there is still room for improvement. As augmentative tools for engagement, control, and information, these technologies should not only be usable, but also be accessible and inclusive for persons with different disabilities. If designed correctly, wearables may allow greater civic and community participation for users with disabilities (Moon, Baker & Goughnour, 2019).

Accessible navigation systems were welcome by persons with visual impairments, and also by persons with intellectual disabilities. AI alerts were particularly welcome by those with intellectual disabilities who were also open to other assistive technologies, like location-based alerts, AR, robots, smart communication aids, and autonomous wheelchairs. We should also emphasise that these views may also reflect caregivers’ needs, as in many cases caregivers replied on behalf of persons with disabilities. In this study, 21 responses were given by other persons answering on behalf of a person with intellectual disability. Ideally, the said persons were supposed to reflect the views of the persons with intellectual disabilities, but it is still likely that they have expressed their personal opinion as well, even if unintentionally (Gjertsen, 2019).

When it comes to assistive technologies, persons with intellectual disabilities are unfortunately rather underrepresented, but previous studies revealed that smart assistive technologies can be very beneficial to them. According to Morash-Macneil, Johnson & Ryan (2018), assistive technologies can help support the employment skills of individuals with intellectual disabilities by increasing their work performance in respect to productivity, navigation, time management, and task completion.

Automated captions and AI alerts were deemed useful tools by those with hearing impairments. Those with visual impairments welcomed accessible navigation systems, robots, and AR solutions. Persons with physical disabilities welcomed a variety of specialised solutions from autonomous wheelchairs to more general ones, such as wearables, robots, location-based services, and AR to some extent. As expected, smart canes and automated captions were seen as specialised tools for those with visual and hearing impairments. Somewhat less expected, accessible navigation systems were welcome not only by persons with visual impairment, but also by persons with intellectual disabilities. AI alerts were particularly welcome by those with intellectual disabilities who are also open to a host of other assistive technologies, like location-based alerts, AR, robots, smart communication aids, and autonomous wheelchairs.

Our findings confirm the previous research stating that digital assistive technologies can promote educational, psychological, and social benefits for persons with disabilities (McNicholl, Casey, Desmond, & Gallagher, 2021; Jamwal, Jarman, Roseingrave, E., Douglas, J., & Winkler, D. (2020)). However, the users and assistive technology officers must be aware of certain factors, such as inadequate training, device inadequacies, external support availability, and the challenge of negotiating multiple information sources, can hinder effective use of these technologies (McNicholl et al., 2021). Assistive technology practices should focus on harnessing the potential of mainstream devices as assistive technologies for all persons with different disabilities, thus facilitating inclusion and reducing stigma.