Technology and Handicapped People Technology and Handicapped People, Office of Technology Assessment, US Congress. Springer Publishing Company, 200 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003, 212 pp (1983), $29.50.

Technology exerts a powerful influence over the lives of everyone, making life easier, more fulfilling, but sometimes more painful and frustrating.This statement is especially true for people with disabilities.The appropriate application of technologies to diminishing the limitations and extending the capabilities of disabled and handicapped persons is one of the prime social and economic goals of public policy.The Federal Government is deeply involved in programs that affect the development and use of technologies for disabilities.programs cover research and development, marketing, provision and financing of technologies, civil rights and their enforcement, employment, transportation, health care, income maintenance, and independent living, to name only a few categories.Congress and other institutions have become increasingly interested in questions of how well programs that directly or indirectly develop technologies and support their use have been performing.Concerns have been raised about consistency of objectives, conflicting incentives, and lack of appropriate distribution of technologies.The Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources requested the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to conduct a study of technologies for handicapped individuals.OTA and the requesting Committee both recognized the extremely broad and complex range of issues that could be addressed in such a study.Therefore, OTA conducted a planning study.Using the results of that study, OTA prepared a proposal for a full assessment on technology and handicapped people, which was approved by the Technology Assessment Board in September 1980.The study examined the specific factors that affect the research and development, evaluation, diffusion and marketing, delivery, use, and financing of technologies directly related to disabled people.The problems and processes of the development and use of technologies were analyzed in the context of societal allocation of resources and the setting of goals for public policy.The study concentrated on two critical matching processes: between technological needs and technological capabilities; and between allocation goals or intentions and resource capabilities.As is the case for all OTA assessments, this study was guided by an advisory panel, chaired by Dr. Daisy Tagliacozzo.In addition, a large number of other consultants, contractors, and reviewers contributed significantly.We are grateful for their many contributions.As with all OTA reports, however, the content is the responsibility of the Office and does not constitute consensus or endorsement by the advisory panel or by the Technology Assessment Board.