Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute , Research Funded through the Science Foundation of Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training in Advanced Networks for Sustainable Societies (ADVANCE CRT)
Supporting universal and consistent access to Assistive Technology (AT) at third-level education within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland represents a critical milestone to achieving equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Author: Priscille Geiser is a consultant in rights-based, disability-inclusive development, and a Research Associate with the ALL Institute’s SHAPES project.
Research Stream: Social Technologies
As I visited my grandparents in the north of France earlier this year, I arrived by train at the nearest station and my grandfather, 96 years old, was to proudly drive me home. As he was not there yet, I sent him a text message, and he arrived shortly after. Yet he told me he had not received the message, because he does not know how to use this function.
Authors: Louise Veling is a Senior Post-Doctoral Researcher with the Horizon 2020 SHAPES Project as part of the Assisted Living and Learning (ALL) Institute / Department of Engineering at Maynooth University. Rudi Villing is a Lecturer with the School of Engineering at Maynooth University, Programme Director of the BSc in Robotics & Intelligence Devices, member of the Hamilton Institute and associate director of the Assisted Living and Learning (ALL) institute.
Rudi Villing and Louise Veling
Few people would dispute the importance of centring older people’s needs when it comes to developing assistive technologies. For assistive robots, this is even more important. As in other fields, within robotics and human-robot interaction (HRI) research, older people are often subject to stereotypical representations and ageist attitudes. Assistive robots are also still in their infancy, with few yet deployed in practice, so there is still some distance to go before robots make it out of the lab and into the real world. What they will be capable of and how they will be used is still in a process of negotiation.
Author: Mohamed Maalim – PhD Researcher at the ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, and Senior Occupational Therapist at Stewartscare
Mohamed Maalim
Persons with disabilities, people with functional limitations resulting from chronic conditions, and older adults often experience physical, psychological, and social challenges restricting their participation in society. Moreover, individuals with disabilities often experience direct and indirect societal discrimination, as mentioned in the report Disability and Discrimination in Ireland. The right of the person with disabilities to the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as to the protection and promotion of their inherent dignity and respect, is enshrined in Article 1 (Purpose) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
Author: Dr Richard Vance, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Psychology and Assisting Living & Learning (ALL) Institute, Maynooth University
Dr Richard Vance
“I fear the day when technology overlaps our humanity” goes a quote, which is dubiously attributed to Albert Einstein on the internet—sometimes you can trust technology, sometimes you can’t.
Last week was Social Justice Week in Maynooth, and it’s as good a time as any to reflect on whether we’re making a positive difference to the lives of others and the world around us. I want to look at how we’re approaching the design and provision of digital health technologies for older adults to promote health and well-being and reduce inequality.
Author: Joan O’Donnell, Doctoral researcher with the Assisting Living and Learning (ALL) Institute, funded by ADVANCE CRT and the SFI. She lectures in the MSc programme in Systems Thinking In Practice with the Open University and is the author of the Employers for Change report referred to in this blog.
Joan O Donnell
Continuous advances in technology and Assistive Technology (AT) enhance the range of work that people can do outside the office environment, making working-from-home (WFH), hybrid or remote working a realistic option for many workers with disabilities. It may suit those seeking greater flexibility in their working day, allow for better management of disabling conditions at home or sidestep the need to negotiate public transport.
Disability and work poses a complex issue that persists despite broad recognition of the interrelationship between disability, poverty, education, housing in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) Article 27, which commits to safeguarding and promoting the right for disabled people to work on par with others. While the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) suggests there is a greater need to engage employers to build a better world of work for persons with disabilities, the ESRI finds that there is also a need to understand the experience of disabled people in work.
Technology advancement and innovation have reduced inequities in access to, and facilitated greater participation in, education for students with disabilities. In particular, assistive technology (AT) can significantly improve the overall educational experience of students with disabilities. Research has found a positive link between AT use and education and psychosocial benefits such as academic self-efficacy, increased well-being, adaptability, self-esteem, and competence. Hence, AT is not only an enabler but also serves to empower students with disabilities.
However, AT that is commonly associated as a support for students with disabilities can also benefit those without disabilities. At the same time, with advances in technology, mainstream technologies now offer many assistive features. There is arguably a shift in perception of what constitutes AT and who can benefit from it.
Authors: Dr. Emma Smith, Postdoctoral Researcher, AT2030, ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University and Ana Geppert, Masters student of Global Health at VU Amsterdam, intern with the ALL Institute at Maynooth University, in partnership with Loughborough University.
In celebration of the launch of the #WeThe15 campaign; the largest ever global human rights campaign to increase awareness and social inclusion of people with disabilities through sport, we would like to share some of our recent research in the area. #WeThe15 is an acknowledgement that at least 15% of the world population – over 1 billion people – live with one or more disabilities, each of whom is entitled to all of the rights and freedoms, and the benefits of social inclusion experienced by people without disabilities worldwide. Of those rights affirmed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Participation in cultural life, recreation, leisure, and sport (Article 30) is one that we have had a recent focus on in our work.
Author: Mohamed Maalim – PhD Researcher, of the ALL Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University
Mohamed Maalim
11th of July is celebrated as World Population day to highlight global issues on sexual and reproductive health and rights gender equality and the right to family life. Personally, as a husband and father to five children, am blessed and privileged to be able to exercise this fundamental human right to family life and family unity as enshrined in international and European human rights provisions. Many people, however, including people with disabilities, refugees, and others requiring international protection do not enjoy the right to adequate sexual and reproductive health in particular.
In this piece, I will discuss sexuality issues for people with disabilities from the perspectives of personal understanding and professional practice both as a research student and a registered Occupational Therapist. From an Occupational Therapy point of view, sexuality is considered an activity of daily living (ADL) by the American Association of Occupational Therapists. Occupational therapists may include sexuality as part of a routine evaluation of clients and address this area in occupational therapy interventions. Sexual activity and intimate social participation are part of meaningful occupational participation contributing to personal satisfaction while sharing intimate relationships may potentially impact one’s wellbeing and quality of life. Sexuality should not be misconstrued to mean only physical intimacy but as a holistic concept encompassing sexual activity, decisions, communication, identity, and choice.
Author: Matthew McKenna, PhD Researcher at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute (ALL Institute)
Matthew McKenna
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Department of Data and Analytics published a technical report in December of 2020 yielding data which highlights the need for increased global awareness of the importance of healthy ageing in the twenty-first century. The report found that global life expectancy increased by more than six years between 2000 and 2019; from 66.8 years in 2000 to 73.4 years in 2019. However, it was found that increased life expectancy did not entail a corresponding reduction in the number of years lived with a disability among older persons. In addition, the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs estimates a 56 percent global increase, from 901 million to 1.4 billion, in the number of people aged 60 years or over in the 2015-2030 timeframe; this figure is predicted to rise to almost 2.1 billion by 2050 based on current data.
Human society must adapt to support and engage with older persons so that nobody is left behind in an older society. In that regard, the promotion of active, healthy, engaged and independent living for older persons above the age of 65 is key.
