Affiliations: [a] Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India | [b] School of Future Studies and Planning, Devi Ahilya University, Madhya Pradesh, India | [c] Department of Science and Technology, Forecasting and Assessment Council, Technology Information, New Delhi, India
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Pushpesh Pant, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India. E-mail: p.pant@iitkgp.ac.in.
Abstract: Physical disabilities minimize the participation of a person in desired activities and in the worst situation, fully prevent participation. The persons with disabilities (PwDs) have all along been forced to rely on various devices, gadgets, tools etc. to get themselves mainstreamed through such supports, collectively termed as Assistive Technologies (ATs). This research examines the current status of various ATs for PwDs in India and looks back to trace their evolution, to foresee the ATs likely to evolve by 2035 and offer a hope, to possibly reduce the gap between disabled persons and the normal to a maximum extent. Examination of the available literature, Horizon Scanning and Patent Databases (WIPO, USPTO, and IPINDIA) has been used for secondary data and an opinion survey for primary data. Two round Delphi study has been conducted on selected 29 ATs with the help of a panel of experts (hailing from industry, R&D institutions, academia, NGO, government etc.). The experts were asked to speculate the likely time-frame of adoption/commercialization of these ATs and were provided with broad trend of evolution of technology in past decades to help them in responding. The findings of Delphi exercise, bringing out potential assistive technologies with their time-frames, have been reported in this study.
