Technology is woven into every aspect of our lives. It impacts how we converse, how we learn and how we spend our free time. It is argued that innovations in assistive technology continue to minimise the gap between disability and ability. From the very first wheelchair hundreds of years ago, to emerging developments in smart home devices, technology continues to create services that provide an easier life for disabled people.

Online platforms and the growing availability of online services offer opportunities for education, entertainment and access to services. The growing relevance of social media platforms allows those living with disabilities to share their experiences and form online communities. And with this platform comes an opportunity for accurate representation and education into the issues people with disabilities may face. Additionally, smarter home technologies allow increased independence for individuals with limited mobility, and may begin to shape the way in which we care for vulnerable people.

However, technology is an ever changing landscape, and with accessibility often becoming an afterthought, it can begin to exclude the very people it should benefit most. So, is there an opportunity for our understanding of access and accessibility to develop, or is there a potential for accessibility and promotion of ability to be left behind?

1

Does the world wide web facilitate

Inclusivity or Exclusion?

There is no doubt that technology has revolutionised accessibility over the years. Assistive technology has become so deeply intertwined in our everyday life that inventions like the wheelchair have become part of the furniture of society.

Accessibility has been a consideration from as early as the 1800s. The invention of Braille allowed those with visual impairments to gain access to a part of society previously inaccessible to them. This invention would come to mark the beginning of assistive technology, and begin to define what access could mean. Innovations in assistive devices have continued to grow rapidly since then, with emerging developments promising a more independent life for those with disabilities. Furthermore, online platforms open up opportunities for education, conversation and entertainment and provide access to information that was limited in the past. However as access to services such as ecommerce and banking has expanded onto the web, many people are presented with a new form of exclusion; inaccessible design.

Online services and access

One way in which technology has impacted those with disabilities, has been through the shift in how services can be accessed. Increasingly, previously physical services like banking and commerce have taken their services online, allowing people to access information through websites and apps. This shift presents unique benefits to those with disabilities as online services provide an easier means of access for these service users. Instead of making the journey to physical places like a shop or a bank, people with disabilities are able to access these services online or order food right to their door.

One example is grocery shopping. In a study in 2015, The Royal National Institute of Blind People found that nine out of ten blind or partially sighted people find information on food packaging difficult or impossible to read. (RNIB, 2022) This renders those who are blind or partially sighted completely dependent on a caregiver or another person to help them read information on ingredients when food shopping. Online food delivery services allow those with visual impairments to easily access information and have their food shop delivered straight to their door, offering increased independence, reducing care costs and dependance on such care. Additionally, services like online banking allow those with disabilities to manage their finances more independently. Instead of someone with a disability having to physically navigate to a branch to lodge a cheque, they can snap a picture on their phone and process it online.

Online services like this present unique opportunities for those with disabilities. As this information begins to become more accessible online, it allows those with disabilities to become less dependent on carers and thereby provides a safeguard to protect the most vulnerable who are so often susceptible to financial abuse.

Social media and shifting stereotypes

The benefits of technology are not limited to assistive devices and services. In recent years, social media has opened up the conversation for those living with disabilities and allowed them to shed stereotypes and form their own communities online. Bringing these voices to the forefront, has allowed people living with disabilities to become part of the conversation.

One such voice is that of Molly Burke, a Canadian YouTuber and inspiration to many. Molly began public speaking shortly after she discovered she would eventually go blind. Since then, Molly has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and at Wembley Arena in the UK.

Molly uses her platform to empower and educate young people and organisations about equality and inclusivity. Aside from public speaking, Molly has used the video platform YouTube to give an insight into her everyday life, and has since gained 1.94 million subscribers who tune into her content.

YouTube channels like Mollys provide a unique opportunity. Instead of relying on mainstream media's infrequent and often stereotypical representation, young people have a real life role model to look to. This is a powerful tool for accurate representation and education on the issues disability can bring. With Mollys presence across various social media platforms, she provides education and raises awareness to issues she and so many others face. Providing a space for those with blindness form a community, and offer support. These spaces for community offer an escape from the isolation being diagnosed with a disability can bring. (Burke, 2021)

For Lucy Webster, a writer, political journalist and disability advocate, social media has been a crucial outlet.

"

It is hard to describe the effect of no

longer being the only one.

Lucy Webster, 2022

For Lucy and many others, social media has provided something of immeasurable value, a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute to a community of people living with disabilities.

Being a young person with a disability can feel overwhelmingly isolating. Inaccessible transport, broken lifts and inadequate care become part of your lived experience. Exhausting reminders of the limitations of your disability. But these communities online serve as a reminder that you are not alone, and provide a safe space for those with disabilities to freely share their experiences, be believed, and receive empathy. A lifeline for those isolated and exhausted. “But for disabled people, the internet allows us to bypass some of the things that keep us apart: inaccessible transport, a lack of appropriate care, pain, fatigue.” (Webster, 2022)

Exclusive design

Unfortunately, social media comes with its limitations. While the world of social media is always growing, the inaccessibility of some platforms is creating a new type of exclusion. Creating barriers between people and the online communities that should unite them. While logging into social media is a daily part of most people's lives, the majority of the most popular social media sites remain inaccessible to some degree.

In 2012, Denis Boudreau of Accessibilité Web completed an assessment of several accessibility tools against the WCAG 2.0 guidelines. Linkedin achieved an accessibility score of 29% and Youtube 18%. Additionally, Facebook achieved just a 9% score and Twitter received a score of nothing, due to issues with every aspect of accessibility functionality. This meant that Twitter was virtually completely inaccessible for people with disabilities. Unsurprisingly, this forced people to come up with an accessible way to use twitter, and so Easy chirp (2014) was born, a portal created by Mr. Dennis E. Lembree that provides an accessible interface for a range of disabilities. (Ellis and Kent, 2016)

In more recent years, (after significant backlash) Twitter dedicated itself to improving the usability of the platform for those with disabilities, even implementing a specialised accessibility team. With a dedicated team, Twitter was slowly making improvements and listening to feedback from real life users. Unfortunately this was short lived. As more recently, under the new ownership of Elon Musk, the entire accessibility team for twitter was let go as part of the recent mass layoffs. A disappointing and harsh reminder of the lack of importance some people place onto accessibility. (Heinrich, 2022)

There is no doubt of the essential nature social media plays in our lives today. According to the Nielsen social media report, 4 in 5 active internet users visit social media sites and blogs. And social media usage is only on the rise with social networking app usage growing by 30% from 2010. (Nielsen, 2011)

Although we place this importance on social media, we do not place the same importance on designing accessible experiences. While we now have the knowledge and resources to break down barriers and make every experience and site accessible, the evidence suggests that accessibility continues to become an afterthought and not an active part of the design process.

When we continue to exclude people from these platforms, we are not just robbing people of the opportunity to connect and form like minded communities, we are cutting out their access to news and information, Information that is freely available and accessible to everyone else. People with disabilities have one of the lowest rates of education and highest rates of unemployment and when we cut off their access to online services by making these sites inaccessible, we further exacerbate these issues. When we continue to make experiences inaccessible, we contribute to the ongoing exclusion of disabled people.

2

Smart homes; convenience or

independence?

With the turn of the decade, we have seen a shift in focus onto products that promote personal convenience. From smarter home technologies that allow you to turn off lights by a command, to voice controlled thermostats, convenience has become a profitable market.Inadvertently, this shift has had a positive impact on those with disabilities. Where these products are a luxury for many, they represent something much greater to those with limited mobility; independence. As Todd Stabelfeldt, CEO of C4 Database Management describes, “Convenience for you is independence for me.” (Cericola, 2022)

"

Convenience for you is

independence for me.

Todd Stabelfeldt, 2017

One example of this technology is the Amazon Alexa, a virtual assistant that responds to voice commands to complete everyday tasks like playing music or checking the weather. Alexa was designed with personal convenience in mind, but it has been adopted by some people with disabilities as an assistive aid.

An article written by Amazon staff details how Alexa has impacted the lives of those with disabilities. One such person is David, who uses Alexa to help with completing daily tasks as a person who is blind. Alexa’s voice commands allow David to structure his day, setting alarms for when he wakes up and even using timers to help with cooking dinner. David can even use Amazon echo to call his son for dinner ‘If I need to chase, I drop in on my son's Echo device to get him to the dinner table!’.

Although Technology like Alexa was not designed with these uses in mind, this device can have a significant impact on people's lives and is a promising reminder of how technology can help to minimise the gap between ability and disability. However, technology like this is not financially viable for everyone. Devices like the Amazon Alexa are still considered a luxury item and can only be purchased at your own expense. Without cheap access to this technology, they only benefit the proportion of the population who can afford them, marginalising those in a lower income group. (Amazon, 2021)

"

For people without disabilities, technology

makes things easier. For people with

disabilities, technology makes things

possible.

IBM, 1991

Smart home technology is also beginning to shape how we treat and care for those with disabilities. Increasingly, smart home devices are becoming a way to allow those with intellectual disabilities to live independently and safely. One report details how remote services such as motion sensors, live video and communication devices are all being utilised to monitor individuals and connect them to a remote carer who can contact and assist them at any time. Technology like this allows individuals who need specialised care to still maintain a level of independence and normality in their own home. (Tassé, Wagner and Kim, 2020)

Furthermore, changes in how we care for individuals with disabilities could potentially reduce the amount of staff required, a welcome opportunity for more efficient use of limited resources in the wake of an ageing population. In a recent report by the UK Government Office for Science, these concerns for care are highlighted; ‘PSSRU projections from 2015 suggest that between 2015 and 2035, the number of people aged 65 and over who require unpaid care will grow by more than one million’. Based on these projections, more friends and family than ever will be required to take on unpaid care on top of their own responsibilities, presenting risks to their own mental and physical wellbeing. Introducing smart home technology into how we care for individuals with disabilities has the potential to reduce this need and free up caring responsibilities for friends and family. (Government Office for Science, 2016)

Security and privacy in the age of smart homes

Although Smart Home technology has many benefits for those with disabilities, it can also provide new types of risk. One anticipated risk of this technology is the impact on security and privacy for these individuals, especially since those with intellectual disabilities and members of the elderly population are amongst the most vulnerable in society. There is significant risk with using this type of technology in the treatment of dementia patients or those with significant intellectual disabilities as they cannot give informed consent to this type of technology. Without informed consent, this could be seen as depriving them of the right to a private life and liberty. While the recent introduction of legislation in the form of the mental capacity act serves to safeguard people, there is a risk that use of technology such as video streams is disproportionate to the risk of serious harm to vulnerable people. Legally it could be argued that for some people who cannot consent, CCTV monitoring is a breach of their personal privacy when they are not necessary and proportionate to the risk of harm.

In addition to the consideration of the proportionality of these technologies in relation to the client, it is also essential that caregivers are informed where these systems have been put in place. The use of covert technologies to monitor caring practices could be seen as a breach of their right to a private life under the UN convention on human rights and the data protection regulations.

Conversely, CCTV surveillance footage can be used as a way to monitor and safeguard vulnerable people. An example of this is in the ongoing trial into the treatment of patients in Muckamore Hospital. In this case, CCTV video footage was reviewed as part of the trial and helped to identify the abuse inflicted by carers onto their patients. Providing a safeguard for vulnerable individuals against unfit practice. (Carroll, 2022)

If this technology is properly documented and considered, it has the potential to both minimise a staff presence and safeguard vulnerable people. However, if there is not significant enough reason, or the individual(s) are not able to provide informed consent, this could be in breach of their privacy and liberty, and therefore render the technology unnecessarily invasive.

3

Designing for

Inclusivity

As the technological landscape continues to grow and expand, new and exciting opportunities for independence and inclusion begin to emerge for those with disabilities. However, as we continue to create and innovate, a shift in understanding is needed to fully facilitate inclusivity. Accessibility needs to be reframed. 22% of people in the UK have a disability that affects how they use websites and apps, and there are many more that don’t identify with having a disability but have digital access needs. Disabilities can impact any of us at any stage of life, so when we design for accessibility, we design for a much larger user base. Furthermore, the positive impacts of designing for inclusivity are not just limited to those with disabilities. (Weber, 2020)

Inclusive design can benefit everyone

Designing with inclusivity in mind has the potential to positively impact everyone. Subtitles were first invented to allow those with hearing impairments to follow videos, but they are now frequently adopted as a solution for watching a video in a noisy environment. Text messaging was first created as an alternative to calls for deaf people, but is now a feature heavily used by all of us in our daily lives. These pieces of accessibility have been widely adopted by many people as they provide solutions to a range of problems, problems that would otherwise remain unsolved.

Another example is touch screen technology. Contrary to popular belief, Apple did not invent the touch screen technology used in the first iPhone. This technology actually originated from the University of Delaware where it was created by Wayne Westerman and John Elias. The technology was developed as a solution to the difficulties Wayne Westerman faced using a traditional keyboard as someone that suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel Syndrome is pressure on a nerve in your wrist. It causes tingling, numbness and pain in your hand and fingers. This syndrome caused difficulties when using a traditional keyboard as it required him to press down heavily on the keys. The solution was TouchStream, a large touchpad with a keyboard printed on it, that allowed him to gently touch the keys, and scroll using two fingers on a touchpad. This technology was completely bought over by Apple and implemented into iPhone technology, the basis of which we still use to this day.

Furthermore, voice control technology has unique benefits for those that have a physical impairment or have limited mobility as it requires limited movement. This technology also benefits able bodied people, as it is a highly convenient and practical solution to physically completing an action. Another example is the utensils company OXO. OXO began when Sam Farber noticed his wife Betsy struggling to hold a potato peeler with her mild arthritis. Together they created their own peeler, designed for ease of use and comfort. He would then go on to create a range of utensils on the same basis, which have now been adopted in many households regardless of needs because of how comfortable and easy they were to use. By designing with inclusivity in mind, we identify and solve more problems than if we designed without these considerations, and by default, the outcomes are considerably more user friendly. (Fox, 2018)

Universal design

"

The power of the Web is in its universality,

Access by everyone regardless of

disability is an essential aspect.

Tim Berners-Lee, 1997

This quote is from Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and Inventor of the World Wide Web, speaking of the importance of accessibility in 1997. Today, 70% of UK websites still remain inaccessible, potentially excluding one in five people in Northern Ireland that have a disability. With so many sites failing to meet guidelines, many disabled people are completely excluded from accessing these websites, and businesses and services are potentially missing out on 20% of potential customers due to inaccessibility. Based on these figures, there is still a significant disconnect between the world wide web and access.

There are, however, a few people trying to bridge this gap, and more recently, there has been a growing focus on universal design.

Tech giant Google is one company focused on making a difference. In early December, Google made headlines when it opened its first UK research and development centre focused on developing technology to help those with disabilities. The centre was opened in collaboration with numerous local charities like the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the Royal National Institute of Deaf People (RNID) and Everyone Can, a charity that helps those with disabilities through assistive technology. This centre is a step in the right direction. Google is a huge company with massive industry influence and this research and development centre displays their commitment to creating accessible experiences, an example for other industry giants to follow. With more investment in accessible technology and a growing commitment to creating accessible experiences Google is paving the way to a more universally accessible future. (Bleakey, 2022)

Conclusion

Technology encompasses all aspects of our lives. It provides unprecedented access to information and education and facilitates opportunities for connection and conversation. Technology demonstrates the potential to liberate those with disabilities through allowing them to gain access to parts of life they were previously excluded from. The shift to online services can offer those with disabilities the opportunity to manage their decisions independently online without depending on caregivers. Furthermore, social media has become a lifeline for those isolated and provides unique opportunities for activism and accurate representation. Emerging developments in smart home technology provides unique benefits for those with limited mobility and developments in motion sensor and video monitoring devices has the potential to revolutionise how we care and provide safeguards for vulnerable individuals.

As our technological landscape grows and expands, some companies are embracing universal design and the benefits this can bring. By designing with accessibility in mind, these companies provide more considered, user friendly solutions that solve a range of problems.

Although we now have the ability to provide accessible experiences that benefit everyone, the evidence suggests that accessibility is oftentimes an afterthought. Inaccessibility continues to exclude those with disabilities from being able to freely access services and information. 70% of UK websites remain inaccessible, and the accessibility of many major social media sites also remains low, excluding those with disabilities from forming communities and contributing to online discourse.

Furthermore, with new developments in smart home technology shaping how we care for vulnerable individuals, we are presented with new risks to privacy and security. Video monitoring can jeopardise our right to a private life, and if informed consent cannot be given, these technologies may be unnecessarily invasive.

Technology has the ability to liberate individuals with disabilities and provide them with increased independence and increased access to services. However, there is still ample opportunity for our understanding of access to grow. For technology to fully facilitate liberation, accessibility must become an essential consideration in the design process. In addition, it is essential that we continue to safeguard vulnerable individuals and provide them with technology solutions that are proportionate to the risk of harm they present to themselves.

Without considered and thoughtful attention to accessibility and the needs of those with disabilities, we are limited in what we can achieve with technology. But there is opportunity for meaningful change. More voices are advocating for accessible experiences than ever before, and with an increased focus on universal design principles and user centred research, we have the potential to create an accessible future for everyone.

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‍

Disability

and Ability

Is Technology a Source of Liberation or an Agent of Exclusion for People with Disabilities?

1