Digital assistive technologies (DigAT) play a crucial role in enabling disabled people to engage independently in a range of activities – in the workplace, home, or as part of education or leisure. The Royal Society has just published a major report on digital technology and disability, to which RiDC contributed significant research.
The role of DigAT
DigAT can be defined as “any technology that processes information to help make your life easier”. It includes screen readers, speech recognition software or apps like NaviLens, and Be My Eyes. It does not include non-digital aids such as canes, wheelchairs or magnifying glasses.
When designed and deployed properly, DigAT can be life changing for disabled people - enabling greater autonomy, and opportunity. However, barriers related to design, affordability, awareness and support can limit access and effective use.
To better understand these opportunities and barriers, and to inform future policy and practice, the Royal Society commissioned RiDC to explore how DigAT is currently used and experienced by disabled people.
RiDC's research and key findings
Between February and May 2024, RiDC conducted a large-scale survey (with 851 responses) and a series of in-depth focus groups with its panel of disabled consumers. This user-led research served as a key evidence base for the Royal Society's report.
RiDC’s findings shaped the following key themes in the report:
- DigAT is essential for many: 53% of respondents who were users of DigAT said that without it, they could not live the way they do or that their life would be significantly more difficult and 64% said they need DigAT to access critical services.
- DigAT includes mainstream technology: 37% of respondents who were users of DigAT reported using everyday technologies - such as smart phones, tablets, and smart speakers like Amazon Alexa as DigAT - even though these were not specifically designed for that purpose. Built-in accessibility features such as screen readers, screen magnification, and voice activation can make them functionally assistive.
- Awareness and training are key: Among respondents who did not currently use DigAT, 58% said they would use it if they knew what types were on the market, while 36% said they would use it more if training was provided. Many cited a lack of centralised information and inaccessible support as key barriers.
- Inclusive (co-) design practices must be prioritised: Participants urged for disabled people to be involved in the entire DigAT lifecycle – from conception and design through to deployment and end-of-life. This included accessible recruitment processes and environments for user testing, fair compensation, and transparency on how feedback will shape product development.
- Concerns around DigAT persist: Participants expressed concerns around AI integration, especially when it replaces human support teams or fails to provide accurate or reliable results. Other concerns related to insufficient involvement of disabled people in DigAT development (resulting in inaccessible features), as well as how much personal data is being collected and how it is used.
- Longevity and interoperability matter: Participants stressed the need for DigAT to be durable and compatible with other devices. In a fast-moving landscape, DigAT that become quickly outdated or only work with specific systems reduce usability and increase long-term financial costs for disabled users.
Royal Society’s recommendations
RiDC’s findings informed the following recommendations in the report:
- Recognise smartphones as assistive technology: Governments should formally acknowledge the assistive value of mainstream devices such as these.
- Prioritise inclusive design: Disabled people must be meaningfully involved in every stage of technology development. This includes accessible research processes, financial compensation, and clear feedback on how their input will influence outcomes.
- Create affordable and sustainable DigAT: Governments, technology companies and research funders should support efforts to lower technology costs, extend product lifespan, encourage lending models (e.g. via public libraries) and raise awareness of existing DigAT.
- Build digital confidence and skills: Governments should ensure that disabled people, and their families and carers, are equipped with the skills needed to find, compare, set-up, and maintain DigAT, and raise awareness of accessibility features on mainstream devices. Training and digital literacy support should be provided through formal education and other settings such as libraries, community organisations, and charities.
Conclusion and follow-up
RiDC’s research shows that while DigAT holds great promise for disabled people, real progress will depend on inclusive design, accessible information and support as well as investment in both technologies and the people they are meant to serve.
As technology continues to rapidly evolve, it is essential that disabled people remain at the centre – shaping it not only for inclusion, but also empowerment.
As a specialist research organisation, RiDC is very well placed to support developers, service providers and policy makers. Through its panel of over 4,000 disabled consumers, RiDC offers inclusive user testing of technologies, products and services – providing vital insights into a wide range of access needs, including mobility, dexterity, visual, hearing, cognitive, metabolic and neurodiverse conditions. These insights help ensure technologies are not only accessible to disabled users, but to everyone.
Further reading
To read about the findings in more detail, visit the Royal Society’s website.
You can also watch a BSL-signed recording of the Royal Society’s report launch on YouTube.
