NIDILRR ARRT: A Culturally Informed Lens on Assistive Technology Provision

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate the experience of assistive technology (AT) for people with disability from cultural backgrounds, particularly those rooted in a collectivist framework prevalent in many Asian, South American, African, and Middle Eastern countries. The project seeks to explore the tensions that may arise for multicultural AT users when navigating a Western-centric AT provision ecosystem. The goal of the study is to explore alternative understandings of assistance, providing a more inclusive examination of AT use and disuse from a multicultural perspective.

Design

This is an observational and interview study for understanding current practices in matching people with disabilities with the right AT. During observations of and interviews with people who use AT and people who provide them, we focus on identifying barriers and challenges associated with the use of ATs.

Setting

This study was carried out at Open Doors for Multicultural Families, a Seattle-based nonprofit organization that provides services to help people with disability find the right ATs.

Participants

We interviewed people with disabilities who receive support services to find AT. We used convenience sampling and included participants who regularly use AT for disability or accessibility reasons. The types of AT being used range from those that address vision, hearing, mobility, and developmental disabilities. We also interviewed case managers who provide AT support services at Open Doors.

Interventions

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures

We asked people with disabilities and caregivers about the challenges they encounter in getting the AT they need. We asked case managers and AT professionals about how they handle language or cultural barriers in supporting families in getting AT and how they adapt AT solutions to meet individual needs.

Results

The participants seeking AT reported that they are often unaware of the services available to them and the kinds of AT that could benefit them. AT professionals reported that case managers often construe individual needs in a way that leads to delayed consideration or oversight of AT despite their potential to effectively address the needs of individuals with disabilities. This study demonstrates that the decision to adopt AT as a solution to an access problem is far from a straightforward process. It involves a complex interplay of structural forces and power relations among various interest groups informed by differing values and priorities. We argue that by attending to the AT provision pipeline as a site for critical examination, we can bring valuable knowledge to AT practitioners and designers in exploring alternative approaches using cultural lens.

Conclusions

In this study, we adopt a cultural lens on AT provision. We examine the ways that culture can influence how AT is understood. This study demonstrates that the decision to adopt AT as a solution to an access problem is far from a straightforward process. It involves a complex interplay of structural forces and power relations among various interest groups informed by differing values, and priorities. We argue that by attending the AT provision pipeline as a site for critical examination, we can bring valuable knowledge to AT practitioners and designers in exploring alternative approaches to accounting for culture.

Disclosures

none.