Modifiable Futures: A Right to Repair Assistive Technologies?

About this event:

In recent years debate concerning the right to repair has emerged as a critical issue at the interface between law, technology and society. Issues of planned obsolescence, the high costs of maintenance and proprietary strategies that function to constrain the repairability of technological devices have particular and profound implications for assistive technologies. The increasing integration of digital technologies into various assistive devices also has the effect of multiplying the forms of technological interdependency and thereby possible points of failure in these systems.

Please join us for a workshop discussion focused on specific issues raised by the repairability of assistive technologies. Our speakers will discuss the complex regulatory and legal issues that characterise this space and the practical ways in which device users are already engaged in creative and innovative practices of repair, modification and maintenance.

This workshop will include a Q&A session. A light lunch will be provided.

Speakers:

Professor Jackie Leach Scully – Director, UNSW Disability Innovation Institute

Dr Kevin Witzenberger & Professor Matthew Kearnes – School of Humanities and Languages UNSW

Dr Kayleen Manwaring & Wanda KuaiIain Brown –Senior Research Fellow & Research Scholar, UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law & Innovation

Margaret Noonan– Assistive Technologies Suppliers Association

Lauren Kark - Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering

Hybrid event: 

This is a hybrid event, you can join us in-person or online via the MS Teams link. Please indicate your preference when selecting a ticket. 

Sponsors:

This event is brought to you by the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute, co-sponsored by the Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation and the UNSW Science and Society Network.

Contact:
To discuss your accessibility requirements, please email diiu@unsw.edu.au.
If you are unable to contact us via the above email, the Disability Innovation Institute is happy to receive phone calls via the National Relay Service. TTY users, phone 133 677, then ask for 02 9385 9114. Speak and Listen users, phone 1300 555 727 then ask for 02 9385 9144. Internet relay users, visit relayservice.gov.au, then ask for 02 9385 9144.

For more information about the Disability Innovation Institute, please visit our website.  

https://www.disabilityinnovation.unsw.edu.au/

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https://www.disabilityinnovation.unsw.edu.au/get-involved