Exploring the Socio-cultural Barriers in Acceptability of Assistive Technology

The socio-cultural background of an assistive technology (AT) user is one of those crucial determinants that facilitates the successful adoption of the attempted AT intervention. Many times, AT tools are disseminated without understanding the health, healing, and rehabilitation beliefs and practices of the AT users, which creates potential barriers to the acceptability of Assistive devices. Technologically embedded advanced Assistive devices cannot overcome the negative socio-cultural constructs of Assistive devices. Even in the present time, the identity of an AT user is associated with a disability culture, a culture that consists of a shared set of beliefs, practices, values, and behaviors that have a profound impact on an AT user’s willingness to adopt the Assistive device. Thus, a thorough understanding of target AT users’ socio-cultural environment is very much imperative to provide culturally acceptable AT services. The current study makes an attempt to explore various socio-cultural factors that impact negatively on the acceptability of Assistive devices. Efforts have also been made to highlight the socio-cultural stigmas and beliefs preventing the utilization of AT tools.