Assistive Technology Products Research Articles

321 - A mapping review of Assistive Technology products for continence containment and toilet use

321 - A mapping review of Assistive Technology products for continence containment and toilet use

Developing Assistive Technology Products Based on Experiential Learning for Elderly Care

Developing Assistive Technology Products Based on Experiential Learning for Elderly Care

Assistive technology unmet need in Indonesia: challenges and opportunities for enhancing equitable access

Purpose To analyze the rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) data and identify challenges and opportunities for improving access to assistive technology products (AP) in Indonesia. Materials and Methods An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design consisting of a quantitative survey and a qualitative interview study was used. The rATA survey was administered to households in two randomly sampled provinces to collect data on AP met and unmet need. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the survey data. Qualitative data were collected from unstructured videorecorded interviews with rATA policymakers. Interview transcripts were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results On average, data from rATA respondents (n = 11,300) revealed 60% of AP unmet need. A high proportion of funding sources came from the private sector, and contributions from the government remained low. Affordability and funding were the main barriers to access. From the policymaker interviews (n = 5), four essential themes emerged, i.e., “resources and workforce”, “funding”, “laws and policies”, and “guidelines and standards”. From each theme, key challenges and opportunities were identified. Conclusions Affordability remained a major challenge, in part because government-sponsored funding was still inadequate, forcing people with low financial status to self-produce AP. One potential opportunity would be to localize AP production and improve local workforce training. Integrated national funding schemes and intersectoral coordination could accelerate improvement in meeting AP unmet need. This study may provide evidence of current challenges and opportunities to help improve the field of rehabilitation through enhanced access to AP services in Indonesia.

Assistive Technology to Improve Collaboration in Children with ASD: State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges in the Smart Products Sector.

Within the field of products for autism spectrum disorder, one of the main research areas is focused on the development of assistive technology. Mid and high-tech products integrate interactive and smart functions with multisensory reinforcements, making the user experience more intuitive, adaptable, and dynamic. These products have a very significant impact on improving the skills of children with autism, including collaboration and social skills, which are essential for the integration of these children into society and, therefore, their well-being. This work carried out an exhaustive analysis of the scientific literature, as well as market research and trends, and patent analysis to explore the state-of-the-art of assistive technology and smart products for children with ASD, specifically those aimed at improving social and communication skills. The results show a reduced availability of products that act as facilitators of the special needs of children with ASD, which is even more evident for products aimed at improving collaboration skills. Products that allow the participation of several users simultaneously through multi-user interfaces are required. On top of this, the trend toward virtual environments is leading to a loss of material aspects in the design that are essential for the development of these children.

Promoting regional coherence and cohesion amidst multiple assistive technology initiatives in Africa.

BackgroundAppropriate provision of assistive technology services (ATS) and products are a global health issue and essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Sixth African Network for Evidence-to-Action on Disability (AfriNEAD) conference included a workshop on collaboration, cohesion and coherence in ATS delivery in Africa.ObjectiveThis article aimed to summarise the workshop proceedings and to provide some recommendations on how coherence and cohesion can be facilitated in assistive technology services in Africa.MethodA round table and small group discussions on assistive technology were facilitated in the virtual space of the AfriNEAD conference. Organisations and role players in ATS and products in Africa participated as keynote speakers, round table members and in small group discussions.ResultsThere was consensus amongst participants that cohesive collaboration must be facilitated. They further agreed that users must be central to future action. There are local, national and regional initiatives, but none of these have grown into an African assistive technology platform. World Health Organization (WHO) Africa can bring partners together and facilitate creation, officialisation and operationalising of a continental assistive technology platform, through building on the existing initiatives. The AfriNEAD disability research country working groups can act as in-country coordinating bodies for ATS and afford a possibility of a structured approach to assistive technology research.ConclusionIt is time to break away from Western institutionalised biomedical ways of providing ATS in Africa. Africans must develop coherent, cohesive ATS driven by empowered users who build on Africa’s strengths and addresses the continents’ unique needs.

ASDesign: A User-Centered Method for the Design of Assistive Technology That Helps Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders Be More Independent in Their Daily Routines

COVID-19 has posed new physical and mental challenges for the population worldwide, establishing social and structural changes in the labor market that could be maintained and implemented permanently. This new reality will require new strategies to improve family and work conciliation, which is especially challenging for families with children suffering from psychological pathologies such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These changes have led to more frequent and intense behavioral problems, causing stress, anxiety, and confusion for these children and their families. Thus, the need to have tools that help parents reconcile work with the care of these children, who have low autonomy, is reinforced. This work develops a method for the design of assistive technology and smart products to support children with ASD in following a routine and managing tasks autonomously. In this way, the article analyzes the design problem including the needs and preferences of children with ASD and their parents during confinement in terms of dependence and adaptability; develops a design method for interactive and smart products focused on children with ASD in confinement situations; and validates this method in a case study, in which a robot is developed that makes it easier for children with ASD to follow a routine.

A STUDY ON ANTHROPOMETRY, RANGE OF MOTION, AND MUSCLE STRENGTH MEASUREMENTS OF KOREANS WITH PARAPLEGIA

The purpose of the study was to measure anthropometry, range of motion, and muscle strength of Koreans with paraplegia, using wheelchairs. The total number of people with disabilities in Korea was 2,618,918, of which 1,223,135 (46.7%) people were with physical disabilities in 2019. For the research, people with paraplegia living in Chungcheongnam-do, Korea were recommended through the disability-related organizations. Totally 77 Koreans with paraplegia participated, out of which 57 participants were men and 20 participants were women in the age group of 30–69 years. There were 82 measurement items categorized into 39 static measurement items, 31 range of motion items, and 12 muscle strength of hand/finger items. The results were presented and analyzed with values in the 5, 25, 50, 75, and 95 percentiles by each item and gender. In the category of basic anthropometric measurements, the horizontal size items of the participants with paraplegia were reported to be larger than those of people without disabilities due to the development of the upper body resulting from wheelchair propulsion movements with some exceptions related to their overall body physiques. In sitting posture, there would be various factors affecting the anterior and lateral maximum/minimum reach measurements such as differences in neurological symptoms according to the spinal cord injury level and daily movement level. The data showed a meaningful difference between men and women in height and flexibility in sitting posture. An independent sample [Formula: see text]-test was also performed between male and female groups. There were differences in the anthropometric values, range of motion, pinch force, and grip force between men and women with paraplegia. The measurement results of anthropometry of hand/foot and muscle strength of hands and fingers of Koreans with paraplegia would be used for designing products for their hands and feet such as hair dryers and tumblers. The results of range of motion measurements would be used as important data for the design and development of wheelchairs for people with spinal cord injury. The measurement results of Koreans with paraplegia would be used as basic data for designing and developing assistive technology and universal products for wheelchair users who work and perform daily activities. The anthropometric measurements of individuals with other subclassifications of disabilities will be necessary in the future study for more detailed implication and application in this field.

Challenges and Opportunities for Use of Smart Materials in Designing Assistive Technology Products with, and for Older Adults

Despite the potential to support ageing in place, there is still low Assistive Technology (AT) uptake among older adults. Smart Materials (SMs) have the potential to play an important role in AT innovation without detracting from the aesthetic appearance and ease of use. The MATUROLIFE project aims to develop enhanced AT products for older adults by employing smart metallised textiles, through a design process involving older adult users and collaborating within a complex interdisciplinary space. This paper outlines research undertaken to capture the prioritised needs and design requirements of older adults, as well as their expectations of future technologies and understanding of SMs. Following interviews with older adults exploring AT acceptance, 94 older adults were engaged in a series of co-creation workshops. The findings emphasise a strong need to feel independent yet safe in older adulthood, and an uncompromised requirement to be fashionable without stigma and stereotypes. The participants demonstrated no resistance to the adoption of smart materials and technologies if they are integrated into AT products that are easy to use, comfortable and aesthetically pleasing, irrespective of the complexity and novelty of the technology involved.

An overview of assistive technology products and services provided in Malawi

Background Assistive technology is the products and services used by individuals with functional limitations to enable participation in society and realisation of rights afforded by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Assistive Product List is a comprehensive list of products identified as essential for access through universal health coverage. Key stakeholders, including organisations of persons with disabilities, civil service organisations, academic organisations and government ministries are collaborating to integrate assistive technology into policy and develop a priority assistive products list for Malawi. Objective To understand the organisational characteristics of, and assistive products provided by, key stakeholders working in AT in Malawi. Study Design Online survey of representatives from key stakeholder organisations. Methods We surveyed representatives of key stakeholder organisations to gather information regarding assistive technology product and service provision in Malawi. Responses were analysed using counts for closed-ended questions, and conventional content analysis for open-ended questions. Results A total of 36 of the 50 APL products were provided by eight organisations. Related services were provided for 36 of the 50 APL products by twelve organisations. Five organisations reported providing both products and services. Products and services are largely funded by donation and provided free to those who require them. Conclusion A range of organisations in Malawi play a role in assistive product delivery and related services. Coordinated AP delivery and service provision is required at a national level which is sustainable and inclusive, and is based on identified needs of the Malawian population. Implications for rehabilitation Policies supporting assistive product and service provision must acknowledge the contextual needs of the communities where they are implemented. Coordination is required for assistive product and service provision at the national and subnational level. Existing and potential gaps in service provision must be addressed when implementing a national assistive products list.

Why do older people love and hate assistive technology? ‒ an emotional experience perspective

Assistive technology is increasingly valued to support older people with functional decline and disabilities. Inspired by classical theories on technology acceptance, emotional experience, and psychological needs, this study aimed to better understand the use of assistive technology by older people. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with 50 community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong (mean age = 67.47, standard deviation = 7.96). Thematic analysis was used to generate themes. Positive and negative emotional experiences emerged as two themes. The theme of positive emotional experiences is associated with enhanced security, independence, and relativeness. However, assistive technology may also produce anxiety, frustration, stigma, isolation, and risks that induce negative emotional experiences. These findings indicate that older users’ emotional and psychological concerns should be addressed and reflected in the process of assistive technology product design and implementation. Practitioner summary: To enhance the well-being of older people through the application of assistive technology, it is necessary to maximise autonomy or independence, enhance social relativeness, and lift self-competence to evoke positive emotional experiences.

Problems and Solutions in the Design for Deaf Persons who are Sign Language Users to Adopt Assistive Technology Products

Libras is the mother language of people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (D/HH) in Brazil, characterizing them as people who use visual cues and signs to communicate with the world. Specialized researchers and educators affirm that people who are D/HH first have to be literate in their mother language (L1, sign language) in order to learn the second language (L2, written language). The teaching-learning process of written language as L2 is still a challenge, subject of many investigations and experimentations. This paper presents results and discussions from exploring and understanding problems and solutions of the design for Deaf persons who are sign language (SL) users to adopt an Assistive Technology (AT) product. This AT product refers to a solution for use in the teaching-learning process of Brazilian Portuguese written language as L2. Our methodological approach is to follow the phases of a framework in proposition, which combines concepts of Co-design, adoption of AT, HumanComputer Interaction lifecycle, Semantic Numbers theory and Writing Process. The framework proposed aims to include codesigners in every phase to guarantee higher chances of being accessible and potentially adopted by the stakeholders. Our results were obtained from two semio-participatory workshops, in which we worked with the Stakeholders Diagram and the Evaluation Frame as co-design artifacts. In the former case, many problems, questions, solutions and ideas were presented by stakeholders, to whom cultural diversity and multimodality were central aspects to be considered in the design of an AT product for Deaf people who are SL users.

Disability Orientation and Regulatory Focus in the Assistive Technology Context: A Study of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Consumers


 
 
 With people with disabilities (PwDs) representing 15% of the United States population, the PwD market demonstrates significant potential as a lucrative target market for businesses. Yet, empirical data is lacking on consumer behaviour among PwDs considering assistive technology products to enhance accessibility. The purpose of this study is to understand the purchase decision process through the lens of a major theory of consumer behaviour, regulatory focus. 171 deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals primarily aged 18-29 were surveyed on two empirically tested scales that measure regulatory focus and disability orientation. This survey included the viewing of a fictional advertisement about an assistive technology product. The findings supported the evidence of a relationship between disability orientation and regulatory focus. A sense of exclusion, social model acceptance, and disability pride were statistically significant predictors of either or both regulatory focus orientations with regard to assistive technology products. Also, whether the subject did/did not have a second disability was partly determinative of prevention focus. Segmentation by disability identity and regulatory focus is suggested. The findings are an important contribution to the established literature on regulatory focus, and fill a major empirical gap in marketing literature for the PwD market. The limitations to this study include the continuing theoretical evolution of disability orientation, and the limitation of the sample to a single disability type (deafness) within a single age group. Similar studies on other disability types could better establish the findings of this study.
 
 

The influence of social context on the perception of assistive technology: using a semantic differential scale to compare young adults’ views from the United Kingdom and Pakistan

Background and aim: A Society's view of disability may influence the perception and use of Assistive Technology (AT) products. Semantic cues or cultural coding provide the viewer with a series of visual stimuli to be given or ascribed meaning. Previous research has shown cognitive approaches to visual perception and assignment of meaning vary between diverse cultures. This study reviews the influence of contextual settings on perception, to provide the basis for a debate on the societal perception of communicative content (semantic/meaning) of an AT product; and, the relevance of different cultural cognitive styles. The paper explores, from a cultural viewpoint, the overall understanding of disability internationally.Method: A Semantic Differential (SD) scale was used to obtain views on the image of an attendant wheelchair from nine hundred and ninety-one (991) young adults from the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan (PAK), reflecting the individualist and collectivist societies, respectively. This survey follows a previous paper-based study using the same image and protocol. Comparing the two surveys, a consensus of views from the two groups was achieved.Results and conclusion: The responses from the UK group were skewed towards a negative view of disability compared to the Pakistan group. This inferred greater social stigma associated with this AT product in the UK. The combined findings from both surveys provide insights into societal perception of AT products and disability. Areas for future research are suggested, including what visual components of an AT product (graphemes) appear to be associated with positive or negative responses for collectivist and individual societal groups.Implications for rehabilitationAssistive Technology (AT) product designers, academics, professionals and stakeholders need to be aware of challenges which are originated from one's socio-cultural environment. AT products convey certain meanings, semantics, which are interpreted by the society and are subjective to a specific cultural setting.•For the effective communication of meanings and values an AT product relies on the visual clues and design features embedded within the design. However, there have been a limited number of studies reviewing this aspect of product semantics.•The survey and associated testing has highlighted the differences in cultural perception towards AT products and demonstrated the importance of effectively designing the semantic attributes of an AT product as well as its function.•The demonstration of the efficacy of methods within the study for exploring the interpretation of semantic attributes of AT products will help designers and developers better understand the perceptions of individual cultures and societal groups.•A better understanding of different cultures and societies will enable designers and clinicians who specify AT products to reduce AT product abandonment; and, the associated stigma around disability.

User Stories Method and Assistive Technology Product Development: A New Approach to Requirements Elicitation

AbstractRequirements elicitation for assistive technology (AT) product development must be collaborative and systemic. This process must ensure that the needs of all different users are identified. For this, UCD methods introduce different tools that seek user involvement and their needs identification. One method commonly used in software development is User Stories. The aim of this paper is to analyse the use of User Stories for requirements elicitation in an AT product development project. This method was applied with three types of users: patients, companions and occupational therapists. For the involvement of these users, the method was customized and two main adaptations were adopted: the stories were written by the development team and all user needs were identified through observations of interactions between patients and prototype. As a result, the development team was able to identify numerous product requirements to be used in later development phases. These requirements were generated by the user needs identified with User Stories. Thus, the method with necessary adaptations, was efficient for requirements elicitation in the AT product development process.

Pre-Navigation via Interactive Audio Tactile Maps to Promote the Wellbeing of Visually Impaired People.

Pre-navigational tools can assist visually impaired people when navigating unfamiliar environments. Assistive technology products (eg tactile maps or auditory simulations) can stimulate cognitive mapping processes to provide navigational assistance in these people. We compared how well blind and visually impaired people could learn a map presented via a tablet computer auditory tactile map (ATM) in contrast to a conventional tactile map accompanied by a text description objectives. Performance was assessed with a multiple choice test that quizzed participants on orientation and spatial awareness. Semi-structured interviews explored participant experiences and preferences. A statistically significant difference was found between the conditions with participants using the ATM performing much better than those who used a conventional tactile map and text description. Participants preferred the flexibility of learning of the ATM. This computer-based ATM provided an effective, easy to use and cost-effective way of enabling blind and partially sighted people learn a cognitive map and enhance their wellbeing.

Cultural influences on perception of disability and disabled people: a comparison of opinions from students in the United Kingdom (UK) Pakistan (PAK) about a generic wheelchair using a semantic differential scale

Assistive Technology (AT) product use occurs within a socio-cultural setting. The growth internationally in the AT product market suggests that designers need to be aware of the influences that diverse cultures may have on the societal perception of an AT product through its semantic attributes. The study aimed to evaluate the visual interaction with an AT product by young adults from Pakistan, a collectivist society, and the United Kingdom (UK), an individualist society. A paper-based questionnaire survey was carried out with 281 first-year undergraduate students from the UK and Pakistan to evaluate their perception towards the visual representation of a generic conventional wheelchair image. A semantics differential (SD) scale method was used involving a seven-point bipolar SD scale incorporating sixteen pairs of adjectives defining functional, meaning, and usability attributes of the product. The mean (M) and standard deviation (sd) values were obtained for each pair of adjectives and compared between both groups by employing appropriate parametric tests. The results show that having a diverse cultural background did not appear to have overtly influenced the meanings ascribed to the generic manual wheelchair, which was unexpected. The University ‘Internationalist’ environment may have influenced the results. Some minor but critical differences were found for some pairs of adjectives (bulky-compact, heavy-light), having p-value less than .05 (p < .05) that related to previous experience of wheelchairs and/or their use. Further studies are planned to investigate and validate outcomes with other student and non-student groups.Implications for RehabilitationThe semantic attributes of assistive technologies highlight a number of aspects that have implications for those involved in Assistive Technology (AT) product development, manufacturing and marketing.• For online sales, the AT products rely on the web page image to communicate the purpose and attributes of the product. There are limited explorations related to the semantic/communicative attributes of AT product presented in images, as perceived by individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.• The knowledge towards semantic meaning ascribed to the AT product is important to investigate to provide a perspective that goes beyond practical functions of the AT product towards the communicative function.• Information of comprehending semantics and significance of the AT product from a social (non-users) viewpoint may benefits manufacturers in the development of AT products that best meet the societal needs, preferences and expectations.• A model of best practice, with a focus on semantic manipulation will offer Industrial Designers (ID) internationally with the suitable process and tools to reframe perceptions of disability and enhance acceptance of AT products not only for users, but also for the society around them.

IAAP certification

One billion people, or 15% of the world's population, experience some form of disability. Organizations worldwide are recognizing that their digital infrastructure, both internal and external, must be made accessible to meet the needs of their customers and employees with disabilities. Inaccessible systems put them at risk for missing a significant percentage of the market, including the aging population, and at risk for non-compliance with legislation.During the past 25 years, a great number of advancements have been made toward the goal of more accessible information and communications technology (ICT). This includes advancements in operating systems, developer tools, technical industry standards and the growth of a rich ecosystem of assistive technology products. However, as we reflect on the current state of the industry and today's ICT solutions, websites and content, it is clear that many are still not accessible. Even organizations that have established development best practices are struggling to consistently deliver accessible content and solutions. Corporations, government agencies and educational institutions worldwide continue to work diligently to understand and respond to the needs of their employees and customers with disabilities, but significant obstacles continue to hinder their success. One of those obstacles is the lack of accessibility knowledge integrated across their existing employee base and a pipeline of skilled accessibility professionals to accomplish the work that needs to be done.

The Effect of Catalyst on the Electroless Copper Plating of Textiles and Fabrics

There are well established methods for the electroless plating of metals onto non-conducting surfaces such as polyimide and printed circuit boards (PCBs)1. After surface preparation of the substrate the electroless pre-treatment typically consists of a functionalisation stage followed by catalysation1. This latter stage deposits a catalytic metal (typically Pd) which initiates the electroless copper deposition reaction1. This approach, when applied to textiles, can produce a multi-functional material with high electrical and thermal conductivity but which is also flexible and wearable. However, the use of Pd as catalyst can significantly impact costs and so there has been work in recent years to investigate other more cost effective catalysts2. These have included Ag nanoparticles and, more recently, Cu nanoparticles2. In this paper 3 approaches to electroless copper catalysation (based on Pd, Ag and Cu nanoparticles) are compared. Characterisation of the metallised textiles and fabrics was performed using approaches such as conductivity measurements, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Scanning White Light Interferometry to determine whether alternatives to Pd catalysts could be utilised. Functionalised nanoparticles dispersed and deposited in a variety of solvents are considered for catalytic activity using cyclic voltammetry, dynamic light scattering and UV-vis spectroscopy. In addition, ultrasonication, adhesion testing, catalyst loading as well as selected self-assembled monolayers are investigated to determine the optimum production parameters for a selection of fabrics. This work is carried out as part of the MATUROLIFE project which is a European Union Horizon 2020 project that brings together two different disciplines, material science and design, to produce high added value assistive technology products. These items will be aesthetically pleasing as well as designed with functionality in mind. “Additive Process for patterned metallised conductive tracks on cotton with applications in smart textiles", K.A.Wills, K. Krzyzak, J. Bush, R. Ashayer-Soltani, J.E. Graves, C. Hunt and A.J. Cobley, The Journal of The Textile Institute, DOI: 10.1080/00405000.2017.1340822 (2017).“Ultrasound assisted dispersal, of a copper nanopowder for electroless deposition”, J.E. Graves, M.Sugden, R.E. Litchford, D.A. Hutt, T.J. Mason and A.J. Cobley, Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 29, 428-438, (2016).

Accessible temporary houses, rehabilitation planning in earthquake areas in Umbria: Assessing functioning profiles in persons with disabilities

This study comes from needs of people with disabilities after the earthquake in central Italy in 2016. People with disabilities that lose their house undergo changes in living conditions, housing, social life and health services. That leads to a reduction in activities, in assistance skills of families, in participation and in quality of life. We plan to project Accessible Emergency Housing Solutions (SAE) in accord with “design for all” criteria, to assessing people with disabilities, to provide and personalize Accessible SAE, to plan rehabilitative interventions solutions to improve participation, quality of life in the new life context post earthquake. The project involves the Rehabilitation Department of USL Umbria 2, the Assistive Technology Products Centre, Health Districts, Municipalities, Umbria Region Civil Protection. We defined appropriate tools based on ICF, adapted to the specific needs in earthquake emergency, to systematically assess disability related problems. We used a direct semi-structured interview to collect informations about health, functioning, family context and assistance need. We created functioning profiles to define the appropriateness of SAE's assignment and house adaptation needs to improve accessibility. We included 194 people with disabilities candidate for Accessible SAE; 102 people had functional limitation or other conditions that required adapted temporary accessible houses, personalized and with appropriate size. 783 SAE will be realized in earthquake areas, 102 of them (13%) will be Accessible SAE.People will be checked after the entrance in the Accessible SAE to define the impact of them on quality of life and to plan eventual rehabilitation and assistance programs. The application of ICF based assessment tools improved disability management, allowing the identification of accessible housing, technologies and rehabilitation needs to improve participation and social inclusion. The study shows the importance of standardising the assessment of disability in a more complete biopsychosocial framework to support disability in disaster areas.

Assistive technology products: a position paper from the first global research, innovation, and education on assistive technology (GREAT) summit

This paper is based on work from the Global Research, Innovation, and Education on Assistive Technology (GREAT) Summit that was coordinated by WHO’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE). The purpose of this paper is to describe the needs and opportunities embedded in the assistive product lifecycle as well as issues relating to the various stages of assistive product mobilization worldwide.The paper discusses assistive technology product terminology and the dangers of focusing on products outside the context and rolling out products without a plan. Additionally, the paper reviews concepts and issues around technology transfer, particularly in relation to meeting global needs and among countries with limited resources. Several opportunities are highlighted including technology advancement and the world nearing a state of readiness through a developing capacity of nations across the world to successfully adopt and support the assistive technology products and applications.The paper is optimistic about the future of assistive technology products reaching the people that can use it the most and the excitement across large and small nations in increasing their own capacities for implementing assistive technology. This is expressed as hope in future students as they innovate and in modern engineering that will enable assistive technology to pervade all corners of current and potential marketplaces. Importantly, the paper poses numerous topics where discussions are just superficially opened. The hope is that a set of sequels will follow to continue this critical dialog.Implications for RehabilitationSuccessful assistive technology product interventions are complex and include much more than the simple selection of the right product.Assistive technology product use is highly context sensitive in terms of an individual user’s environment.The development of assistive technology products is tricky as it must be contextually sensitive to the development environment and market as well.As a field we have much to study and develop around assistive technology product interventions from a global perspective.