Beyond Independence: Enabling Richer Participation through Relational Technologies

From ageing to education, from tourism to shopping, many systems and applications have been proposed that aim to free users from the nuisance of depending on others. In this paper, we problematise independence and argue that when closely scrutinised, the purported aim to independence of many works in the literature appears to be a proxy for a broad range of related values, including agency, dignity, autonomy, freedom of choice, and participation. We unpack and reflect on the tensions and trade-offs that come with the quest for independent life. We explore these issues through two case studies: one on democratising IoT design for older adults; the other on digitally enabling person-centred approaches with people with intellectual disability. We propose that many design and research initiatives would be better served by a focus on the interdependent network of social relations, from family to friends, and the broader community, and on Relational Technologies capable of supporting a fulfilling participation in those networks.