Gerard Goggin and Christopher Newell discuss the struggles
and even absence of accessible and inclusive technology for disabled people in
their article, ‘The Business of Digital Disability’ (2007). They begin with a
story where they empathically check in at an airport in the mind frame of a
blind person while questioning airport employees on the accessibility of their
technology for disabled people at each step. They continue discuss reasons that
companies do not consider people with
disabilities in the design of technology such as increased expenses (2007).
Conversely, they make numerous references to the potential markets being
underutilised by excluding these considerations.
It is hard to dispute these claims without sounding
insensitive to disabled people. In the airport story, Goggin and Newell state
that disabled people have to resort to using the traditional help desk instead
of easy check-in technology (2007). From the airports point of view, I can see
how this is much more financially viable over tailoring their technology for
disabled people. Furthermore, to put myself in a blind persons shoes (as Goggin
and Newell did), I think I would want a human presence helping me through the process;
but I guess that’s just me.
In terms of business, I think inclusive technology and all
other technology have become separate. It seems that most companies don’t see
inclusive technology as a viable option and the ones that do, are specialty
manufacturers that specifically tailor technology to the disabled; and I don’t think
this is a particularly bad thing. There is currently amazing things being done
to improve the lives of disabled people. One great example is the development
and combination of brain-computer interfaces and smart-home technology to help
the severely disabled (Graham-Rowe 2011).
References
Goggin, G and C Newell (2007) ‘The Business of Digital
Disability’ The Information Society: An International Journal, Volume
23, Issue 3, 159-168
Graham-Rowe 2011 ‘Control
your home with thought alone’, New
Scientist, July 5, accessed 14/5/2013, http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128195.200-control-your-home-with-thought-alone.html
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