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Exploring discourse surrounding therapeutic enhancement of veterans and soldiers with injuries

Issue title: Soldier Rehabilitation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Wolbring, Gregor | Martin, Angelica | Tynedal, Jeremy | Ball, Natalie | Yumakulov, Sophya

Affiliations: Department of Community Health Sciences, Program of Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada | Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada | Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada

Note: [] Corresponding author: Gregor Wolbring, Department of Community Health Sciences, TRW Building, 3d31, 3330 Hospital Drive NWT2N4N1, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. E-mail: gwolbrin@ucalgary.ca; http://www.crds.org/ research/faculty/Gregor{\_}Wolbring.shtml

Keywords: Human enhancements, veterans, soldiers, injured veterans, ethics

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-141936

Journal: Work, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 149-160, 2015

Received 27 August 2014
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Accepted 27 August 2014
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Published: 2015
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Human enhancement (the enhancement of the abilities of a normative person beyond the norm) of soldiers has been debated for some time. However, therapeutic enhancement of soldiers and veterans with injuries (the enhancement of the abilities of a sub-normative labeled person beyond the norm) is much less discussed.

OBJECTIVE: This article discusses 1) historical examples of policies and views linked to soldiers and veterans that have been injured in the Americas, and perception of injured veterans and soldiers; 2) the science and technology of the therapeutic enhancement landscape and 3) views of veterans on therapeutic enhancements.

METHODS: Three methods were used: a) historical search of policy documents; b) content analysis of the New York Times and c) online delivered exploratory non-probability survey using the Survey Monkey platform.

RESULTS: Researchers found that veterans played a special role in policy developments in the United States, such as disability pension plans, and that veterans who were injured were portrayed more positively than other people with disabilities in the NYT from 1851–2010. However, within the current public discourse around the use of enhancement enabling therapeutic assistive devices, the voices of injured soldiers and veterans are not visible.

CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic enhancements, especially of injured soldiers and veterans, are an under researched area with various open ethical questions in need of more coverage.

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