TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT STUDY ON ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY

Abstract

Physical disabilities restrict a person to participate in their desired activities and sometime, fully prevent participation. The person with disabilities (PwDs) have no other option than to rely on various devices ,gadgets; tools etc. ,collectively termed as Assistive Technologies(ATs), to get themselves mainstreamed through such supports. This research examines the current status of various ATs for PwDs in India and looks back to trace their evolution, to foresee the ATs likely to evolve by 2035 and offer a hope, to possibly reduce the gap between disabled persons and the normal to maximum extent. For secondary data, examination of available literature, Horizon Scanning and Patent Databases (WIPO, USPTO & IPINDIA) has been used and an opinion survey for primary data. With the help of experts, hailing from industry, R&D institutions ,academia, NGO, government etc, Delphi study has been conducted. The experts were asked to speculate the likely time-frame of adoption/commercialization of these ATs and were provided with broad trend of evolution of technology in past decades to help them in responding. The findings of Delphi exercise, bringing out potential assistive technologies with their time-frames, have been reported in this study.