Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
Better Than New! Ethics for Assistive
Technologists
Anita Silvers
Abstract
What are the fundamental values that should guide the practice
of assistive technologists? This essay examines two sources that appear to
inform current understandings of the ethics of assistive technology: medical
ethics and engineering ethics. From medical ethics comes the notion that
assistive technology should aim to restore its users to normal functioning,
making them like new. Engineering ethics, on the other hand, recommends
enhancing users' functionality, even if functioning is not achieved in a species
typical way. From this engineering perspective, it is permissible and even
desirable for assistive technology to make its users function even better than
new. Thus enhancing functionality is a central value in assistive technology.
Professionals in the field have the ability, and the responsibility as well, to
address and counter societal suspicion of artificially enhanced functioning
achieved through technology. Consequently, assistive technology professionals
should fight against discrimination that excludes people with disabilities,
whose functioning depends on prostheses and other products of technology,
from the mainstream of social life.
1.1 Introduction
As is common at the commencement of a new profession, the ethics of as-
sistive technology is a somewhat discordant conjunction drawn from other
practices - in this case, from engineering ethics and also from medical ethics.
The emphasis in the current approach is on doing no harm, prompted by fa-
miliar fears about the propensity of new technologies to trigger unfortunate
results [
5
]. This kind of “hand-me-down” approach to shaping the aspirations,
