Addressing the Challenges to Accessibility and Research Gaps in Assistive Technology: A Review of Contemporary Assistive Technology Solutions

Abstract

This paper will address the shortcomings of the research being done in the field of assistive technology and how the lack of access to such essential technology is an unfortunate general case as a result of a number of factors, including lack of funding and development, insufficient knowledge, poor economic means, and prevalent societal barriers. Education in this field also plays a major role in instilling in people an emphatic understanding of assistive technological solutions by giving them a scientific or rational backing, as opposed to the stereotype against them that impedes their active awareness efforts. With modern scientific and technological advancements, assistive technology has also progressed. Modern technology has developed new ways of addressing disabilities, both psychological and physical in nature, but access to them remains a distant affair altogether. Only developed countries have access to these advanced technologies, leaving low- and middle-income countries way behind.