Role of occupational therapy practitioners in mass market technology research and development

Performance of many activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living involve technology, such as an electric toothbrush or a self-checkout register at the grocery store. Unfortunately, more than 60 million people with disabilities in the United States struggle to use these technologies because of inaccessible designs. Occupational therapy practitioners have a unique expertise in the design of accessible equipment. Practitioners have been involved in the design of adaptive and assistive equipment targeting use by people with disabilities since occupational therapy's beginnings. However, few occupational therapy professionals currently work in the research and development of everyday technologies. This article explores the role of the occupational therapy practitioner on the technology design team, discusses barriers to current practice, and makes recommendations to the profession.