Assistive Technology: By or for Mainstream Technology? A Case of Visual Impairments

Abstract

The assistive technology industry has been growing rapidly due to increasing innovation and rising demand to satisfy the needs of the disabled population. Assistive technology accepts knowledge of mainstream technology and is expected to contribute to the latter's redevelopment. However, a paucity of research supporting this potential exists. In this article, we monitor the directional knowledge flows between the assistive and mainstream technologies. We identify dynamic brokerage patterns over seven segmented periods from 1981 to 2015 via a citation network analysis of the nonrestorative visual assistive patents applied to the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We find intermediary roles played by assistive technology and major mainstream technology fields that are affected by assistive technology. The results show that assistive technology for the visually impaired plays an active role as a technology transfer consultant between the mainstream technologies. Assistive technologies affect communication, mobility, and environmental technology subfields. The findings suggest that assistive technology is impactful beyond being a mere knowledge receiver and it provides information as a knowledge broker for firms to partner with assistive technology manufacturers or enter such markets.