Assistive Technology and Social Change

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Assistive Technology and Social Change

• Michele Barry
• Executive Director
• LifeTec Queensland

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• Independent Living Centres of Australia Inc.
  (ILCA)

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Imagine this

• Where inclusion and social participation is the
  norm.

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What is Assistive Technology?

• Assistive Technology is a term for any device,
  system or design, whether acquired commercially
  or off the shelf, modified or customised, that
  allows an individual to perform a task that they
  would otherwise be unable to do, or increase the
  ease and safety with which a task can be
  performed.
• - Independent Living Centres Australia (2005)

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• For assistive technology to be effective, it
• needs to be
• Available
• Accessible
• Affordable

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Access to Assistive Technology

• Assistive technology solutions exist
• Accessing the solution is the challenge
• At LifeTec Qld, we estimate up to 50 of people
  cant access a solution that would improve
  Quality of Life
• Barrier to inclusion and participation

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Why is access an issue?

• Prohibitive cost
• Each state has a differing system of subsidy
• Strict and restrictive criteria for public
  funding
• Incorrect prescription of equipment
• 1/3 of equipment is not used why?

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Two solutions

• To ensure better access to assistive technology
  we could
• Move to Denmark
• Create social change
• Why Denmark?

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Move To Denmark
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Social Action

• Disability comes to all of us eventually

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Elements for Social change

• Acknowledge the crisis
• Evidence statistics
• Highlight the plight of victims
• Emotional involvement
• Align with strong political leadership
• Maintain a balance perspective
• - Adapted from Kersh Morone (2002), Brownell
  (2004)

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Lets work together
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Social change is vital
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First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you. Then you win.

• Mohandas Gandhi