A new IASSIDD Affinity Group, Technology & Disability, is being proposed within IASSIDD to reflect the growing importance of media and technology in our field.
An initial planning meeting will be held online via Zoom on June 30 from 12:00-14:00 (UTC). Please record this date and time in your diaries, and sign up to attend the meeting on this link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtcOivrz4oHdTOHG5ETlLGvAaYJdaiL2ZQ
Technology has become an integral part of our society. Each new generation of technologies (e.g., tools, machines, computers) has led to significant changes in social structures, including the socio-technical constellations of recent years and decades.
All of this affects the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although new opportunities for participation are emerging, there is still a digital divide. IASSIDD’s Technology & Disability Affinity Group will address the digital divide and the full spectrum of technological impacts, such as assistive technologies and learning media. Technology-enabled research will also be an important focus. In addition to ethical and sociological considerations, the main focus will be on demonstrating the potential value and practical use of new technological developments such as artificial intelligence or augmented and virtual reality and robotics for people with intellectual disabilities.
The Technology & Disability Affinity Group is an initiative to bring together existing activities and make them more visible and to explore new ones. IASSIDD members who have knowledge or interest in technology and disability are urged to join us at our Zoom meeting on June 30.
Peter Zentel,
LMU Munich, Germany
Peter.zentel@edu.lmu.de