The use, role and application of advanced technology in the lives of

disabled people in the U.K.

© University of Dundee 1

• Professor Jennifer Harris, Prof. John Arnott, Dr. Nick Hine, Dr. Thilo Kroll and Dr. Fiona Bolik

Advanced Technologies in the lives of Disabled People

Overall Findings:

Access problems included:Cost (of devices, updates of software) Information on available products Specialist disability market is costly Lack of training for service users Aesthetics of devices

Advanced Technology Project:

The research problem:

a) Under-use of ‘prescribed’ assistive technological devices

b) Designers and engineers are driven by different motives to disabled people

So….. disabled people want better functioning devices, and designers and engineers need to start from the user’s perspective

Advanced Technology Project: Method

45 in-depth interviews with disabled people across Scotland and England (UK)

7 User Clubs

4 Focus Groups in ‘care’ settings

Innovation Day for disabled people, designers, engineers, architects, NGOs, private and public service providers

Advanced Technology Project:Orientation

Social model of disability (Oliver 1990)

The frustrations and joys of using specialised and mainstream market devices –and future wishes

How do technologies assist or hinder disabled people in independent living?

Advanced Technology Project:Findings

Participants were out of step with the market– Participants were struggling with old devices and

poor systems– Cost of new devices was prohibitive– Users were lost in the ‘digital divide’:

– No Choice in Specialist device provision from the State

– Too much choice in Mainstream market

Professional power issues in programming devices like ‘talkers’

Advanced Technology Project:The Users’ Blue Skies Innovations

Face-controlled electric wheelchair;

A solar-powered battery for a ‘talker’

Gardening devices

A multiple-use fine hand-movement device

A voice activated fully automatic car

For Deaf and hearing impaired users,– a ‘missed calls register’– a cheap and useable videophone– a device that translates spoken word into text

Advanced Technology Project:Future possibilities and issues

Infra-red switch technology, Bluetooth and wireless systems– Abandon wired systems– Multiple remote control device issues

Voice recognition software – Exciting possibilities for text entry and

command– Software made copious errors– Laborious to train the software

Advanced Technology Project:Barriers and Facilitators to Learning to use Technologies

Barriers to learning Facilitators to learning

Training Poor/ rushed training from:Providerfamily technician No training/supportExcessive cost of training

Good training from:Provider; employer; social worker; electrician; technician; on-line peers; friends; helpline; helpers at respite care centre; charity; Speech therapist

Instruct-ions/ manuals

Difficult to understand manualSpecific problems with;reading instructions concentrationcommandsPrefer human instruction

Easy to understand manualOn-line instructionsDemonstration:humanProgram talk-through

Family Issue of dependence Family could be best placed to help with learning

BARRIERS TO LEARNING FACILITATORS TO LEARNING

Pragmatic issues

Time, patience, costLack of on-going supportConnecting older and new devices Non-compatibility of software Knowledge/capacities assumptions by designers Remembering Functions: including; of environmental control device phone memorycommands for computerLocating phone buttons Terminology difficult to follow

Symbols instead of wordsSelf teaching: through; Trial and error On-line/video learningPerseverance over years

Aim for independence

Enjoyment

Advanced Technology Project:Pragmatic, Manipulation and Psychological Issues in learning to use technologies

Advanced Technology Project:Manipulation Issues

BARRIERS TO LEARNING

FACILITATORS TO LEARNING

Electronic reader controlsScooter controlsSize of buttons on remote controlsNavigation through menus on mobile phones

Storage capacity of new technology in comparison to old Flexible and transferable functions between devices

Advanced Technology Project:Psychological Issues

BARRIERS TO LEARNING FACILITATORS TO LEARNING

Fearing own inadequacy in capacity to understand how to use technology

Fear of damaging device

Embarrassment at ‘computer ignorance’

Frustration: including;‘Hard work’Complexity of functions

Enhanced self-esteem from mastering computer functions

Enhanced confidence from proficiency

Transferable confidence

Learn only necessary techniques

Advanced Technology Project:Service User Wishes

A Service user….

• has voice activated software in the office and at home

• has a headset which is plugged into the back of computer..

‘ I can’t use my hands, so once that headset’s on …- well especially at home, when I’m on my own, if its on, I can’t do anything. If the doorbell rings or the phone rings I can knock it off and go and answer the phone but that’s, of course that’s it, can’t go back on it again’

He needs to:

• drive up to rather than have it attached to his head

• Engineer built a booth that sits on the top of computer

Advanced Technology Project:Flexibilities of devices

Deaf user in the shower, has a pager for front door bell. The device has no ‘missed calls’ register – so the user has no idea that the visitor is still outside. However, ‘missed call register’ is a standard function on mobile phones –why not on these pagers?

Advanced Technology Project:Voice recognition example: ’Jim’

[‘Jim’ to Computer:] “Wake up... start Microsoft Word... <‘Jim’>’s address”...

[Computer prints Jim’s address]...

“Select all... right align that... left click”... [Computer replaces address with ‘Backlight’]...

“Scratch that... mouse left click”... [Computer: no response]...

“Mouse left click... [Computer: no response]...

“Go to sleep... [Computer inserts the word ‘Consciously’]

“Scratch that... go to sleep”.

Advanced Technology Project:User Innovation Day issues

Size of new technological devices

Disabled people excluded from mobile phones by credit system

Sign Language users excluded as mobile instructions are in written English and must register using speech

Affordability and dexterity of mobiles are major issues. High street chains can sell unusable products to disabled people legally

Advanced Technology Project:User Innovation Day Issues 2

DDA 2005 makes discrimination in services against disabled people illegal but does not cover products or design – this is a loophole

Ricability and the Disability Rights Commission campaigned for ‘universal design’ to be included in the DDA but they were unsuccessful

Advanced Technology Project:User Innovation Day issues 3

Water, gas and electricity are classed as utilities. The UK Government makes special provision to ensure disabled people’s full access to these services. Phones are classed as a luxury item –Should landline phones be classed as a utility?

Many disabled people cannot use public phone boxes as they are not fully accessible. Mobile phones are not a luxury item but a necessity for disabled people

Advanced Technology Project:Summary

Size

Choice

Flexibility

Aesthetics

Law

Access

Publications Harris J (2003) 'All doors are closed to us': a social model analysis of the

experiences of disabled refugees and asylum seekers in Britain' Disability & Society, Vol. 18, No.4. 2003, pp.393-408. Available on-line from IDRIS at:

http://www.idris.ac.uk/book/Social%20Inclusion/all%20doors.pdf

Harris J (2003) 'All doors are closed to us': a social model analysis of the experiences of disabled refugees and asylum seekers in Britain' Disability & Society, Vol. 18, No.4. 2003, pp.393-408.

Harris, J., Foster, M., Jackson, K. and Morgan, H. (2005) Outcomes for Disabled Service Users, Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, available at:

http://php.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/192/

Harris J. (2004) 'Incorporating the social model into outcome-focused social care practice with disabled people' In Barnes C & Mercer G (Eds) 'Implementing The Social Model of Disability: Theory & Research and Social Care' Leeds, Disability Press

More publications Harris, J., Arnott J., Hine N., & Kroll T., (2009) ‘The Use, Role

and Application of Advanced Technology in the lives of disabled people’ Final report to the Economic and Social Research Council, UK. Available at: http://www.idris.ac.uk/book/Advance%20Tec/Project%20Report%20FINAL%20copy%20for%20website.doc

Harris J, (2010) ‘The Use, Role and Application of Advanced Technology in the lives of Disabled People in the UK’ Disability & Society Vol 25. Issue 4., pp 427-439. 

Oliver M (1990) The Politics of Disablement, Basingstoke, Macmillan. 

Sherer, M J & Galvin J C 'An outcomes perspective of quality pathways to the most appropriate technology' In JC Galvin, M J Sherer (Eds) Evaluating, selecting and using appropriate assistive technology Gaithersberg MD: Aspen, 1996: 1-26 

Thank you for listeningAcknowledgements to Funders

The IDRIS research teams gratefully acknowledge financial support from:

Economic and Social Research Council: Award number RES-062-23-0177,

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation,

The Big Lottery

and the UK Department of Health.

Visit us at www.idris.ac.uk