Article Summary by Mark Paterson Unlike AI, smart speakers, or industrial robots, the way social robots look, how they appear and interact with us, really matters because social robots are specifically made to work with people. There are engineers with good intentions who are designing robots to assist people. These assistive robots are designed to […]
Category: Special Issues
Exploring cultural imaginaries of robots with children with brittle bone disease: a participatory design study
Article Summary by Christina E. Stimson This ongoing study is working with children with brittle bone disease and their families to explore accessible ways of getting ordinary people involved in the design of robots and assistive technology. Using science fiction and other popular culture as a common frame of reference for designers and non-technical stakeholders […]
Disability, Digital Technologies and the Ambivalent Allure of Posthumanist / Transhumanist Futures
Article Summary by Margrit Shildrick Technologies have always played a major role in the lives of people with a range of disabilities that are assumed to impede personal autonomy. Whether mechanical aides, organic – and often internal – supplements, or digital enhancements, the widely accepted claim is that such technologies have a clear therapeutic value. […]
Beyond the Fingertips: Imagining Technologies for a Deafblind Future
Article Summary by Raymond Holt This paper explores some of the challenges faced by one of the authors (Russ, who is deafblind) and imagines how future haptic technology could enhance experiences for people with deafblindness. We consider three of Russ’ experiences related to his interest in space: a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre to […]
Towards a Critical Posthumanist Perspective on Participatory Design
Article Summary by Tony Prescott Participatory design is a popular approach to developing assistive technologies. It focuses on involving users in the design process to ensure the technology meets their needs. However, this approach often relies on traditional human-centred design principles. Critical posthumanism offers a different perspective. It challenges the idea of a single, fixed […]
“That’s Me at My Best”: Perspectives of Older Adults on Involvement in Technology Research
Article Summary by Susanna Martin Creating assistive technology for older adults means understanding their needs, wants and values. Researchers can achieve this by collaborating with older adults during the development process. Unfortunately, opportunities for collaboration are limited. We also know little about what older adults think about being involved in technology research. To gain a […]
Hybrid Performances in Sport: Cybathlon Spectatorship for Critically Imagining Technologies for Disability Futures
Article Summary by Edmund Barker and Harry Parker Assistive technologies, such as wheelchairs and prosthetic legs, have been helping some people participate in Sport who wouldn’t be able to otherwise. In some ways these technologies have helped to make disability more present and visible across many sporting cultures. For the most part, however, differently abled […]
Deaf-led Alarm Design: Technology and Disability in Home, Work and Parenthood
Article Summary by Gretchen Von Koenig Security alarms, alarm clocks, baby monitors and fire alarms are everyday devices in our homes that help us wake up, feel secure and care for our families. In the history of alarm designs that are dominated by auditory-based alerting systems, stories of how alarms were hacked for deaf needs […]
Digital Production and itDf
Editorial by Eleanor Webster Over the course of the Imagining technology for Disability futures symposium, held in Leeds in April 2024, I was often asked: “what is it you actually do?” This didn’t come as much of a surprise to me: digital producing is a nebulous title and my job is the kind that most […]
Imagining Alternative Futures with Augmentative and Alternative Communication: A Manifesto
Article Summary by Darryl Sellwood and Graham Pullin As authors who use AAC devices, we emphasize the need for disabled individuals to be directly involved in creating solutions that impact our lives. Our manifesto challenges the conventional, technology-driven future of AAC, advocating instead for social inclusion and equity. We stress the importance of interdependence […]