Hi Luigi,
The European Institute for Design and Disability www.design-for-all.org
is in "universal design", a field different from assistive technology of
the types you mention, but EIDD could probably refer you.
www.design-for-all.org
Also ask DAN, Design for Aging Network (European Union)
dan.interact.ud/
and the Trace Center
www.trace.wisc.edu
and CAST, Center for Applied Special Technology, www.cast.org
These five terms are all quite different, though maybe occasionally
overlapping -- assistive technology, adaptive design, rehabilitation
design, accessible design (may be specialised), and universal design
(tries to wherever possible avoid design overspecialization & it's
implications for social segregation & stigma).
None of these 5 topics are within the generally-accepted purview of this
disability-research-archive list. Though a few may argue the point and
say that "universal design" is within their areas of interest -- the
proof is in the pudding. (The posts, the DS articles, the books.)
Built-environment & product design barriers & factors in the lives of
PWD's are typically mentioned if at all, in DS, only as a sort of
gateway metaphor, zipped through on the way to an article or book on
more respected disciplines dealing with "non-material" social /
conceptual / policy barriers.
For example, the North-American based Society for Disability Studies
recently rejected member input suggesting that their new Mission
Statement add to a list of adjectives, "environmental". (Final
sentence: "Disability studies encourages perspectives that place
disability in social, cultural, and political contexts.")
Rehab and high-tech design may run a risk of replicating the oppression
of the Medical Model (you're sick, that's all / Doctor as God / have a
narrowed-down life) which the disabled rights movement (& disability
studies; following after) builds alternatives to.
Rehab design may do this even if by only ignoring or underestimating
social factors & environments in which an engineering design must
perform. For example, Limited Use Limited Access ("LU-LA") lifts, even
if enclosed in building shafts, that make a large amount of noise, work
to increase staring at us & therefor reinforce stigma. Some people who
do not use mobility devices but who still need those lifts (people with
arthritis but not using a chair, scooter or walker, for example) may
actually avoid using those poorly-designed noisy lifts, to avoid being
stared at for two reasons -- the noise plus the quizzical looks on
people's faces as they obviously wonder "Why is that person using that
lift? They're not disabled.")
For example, the new gyroscopic wheelchair invention, expected to cost
perhaps $25,000. if it ever gets approved for production - may some day
lead to new excuses for not removing environmental barriers --- some
may begin to say that - it's the mobility-disabled person's 'fault' for
not having this new super chair. Or, if this reportedly stair-climbing
chair's design and testing fails to take into account the huge variety
of stair measurements in the real world.. it may put on the user the
difficult task of figuring out which stairs it can climb safely, and
which it cannot. (What will it cost for liability insurance for a very
heavy chair that will climb steps, and will perhaps sometimes fall on
other people?)
Another example - The various design and reliability problems of many of
the the fancier mobility devices (including the new need for RF
shielding of electronic control systems, for safety --- and how many
power chairs can be shipped on a plane without high incidence of
breaking?), and the lack of a coherent system to serve people who depend
on them, when they break down.... is, in effect a life barrier created
by the poor design of the combination of product & service delivery
systems, or lack thereof in the case of service systems.
Well, good luck with your research.
Jim
________________End of message______________________
Archives and tools for the Disability-Research Discussion List
are now located at:
www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/disability-research.html
You can JOIN or LEAVE the list from this web page.
|