TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Not all assistive technologies (assistive devices) can effectively assist people with disabilities. A study conducted by the University of California San Diego, USA, found that assistive technology can fail to meet the needs of its intended users due to “technoableism.”
“A dangerous belief that disability is a problem that technology must fix (technoableism),” wrote researcher Pratyusha Ghosh of the University of California San Diego, USA, in the Disability Justice Journal, “Paternalism, Autonomy, and Care for More Equitable Futures,” as quoted by Tempo, Sunday, February 1, 2026.
According to Ghosh, this belief is linked to a lack of in-depth knowledge within the disability community.
Disability activist and designer Liz Jackson describes this phenomenon as the “shallow disability” perspective.
“It’s a well-intentioned, elegant, but useless solution to a previously unknown problem,” she said.
In designing assistive technology that can liberate and respect people with disabilities, scholars in the field of disability technology emphasize the importance of centering people with disabilities as users, particularly in adapting and creatively reusing technology.
This principle aims to anticipate and navigate discriminatory or inappropriate environments.
Scholars in this field advocate designing assistive technology as technology that challenges dominant disability narratives. This practice can be implemented through mutual support rather than dependency.
However, according to Ghosh, there has been significant discussion about “technological paternalism” in the field of assistive technology for disabilities. This technology, a patterned technology, refers to systems that influence user behavior, intended to promote the best interests of people with disabilities to act autonomously.
“Because robots’ characteristics and actions are often intentionally designed, guided by goals or assumptions derived from the perceptions of researchers and developers,” Ghosh said.
He added that it is crucial to examine how perceptions in assistive technology patterns are determined and their impact on users with disabilities. Patterns in assistive technology must accommodate users with disabilities to act autonomously. Often, instead of assisting, these technologies can interfere with users’ decisions and reduce their sense of well-being. “Therefore, this discomfort is often avoided by many people with disabilities,” said Ghosh.
Read: Study Finds Humans May Have a Hidden Seventh Sense: Remote Touch
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