Autonomy Benefits and Risks of Assistive Technologies for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This paper explores the ways in which assistive technologies (ATs) can both promote and undermine the autonomy of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (PIDD). Following an initial discussion of ATs for PIDD, I examine the specific issues of autonomy for PIDD. I outline the ways in which ATs can boost autonomy, of PIDD, focusing on knowledge, authenticity, and liberty. Following that I suggest that ATs are not necessarily beneficial in terms of autonomy and examine ways that they might be used to undermine the autonomy of PIDD, specifically the categories of knowledge, authenticity, and liberty. I conclude by suggesting that the development of ATs requires ethical oversight

Learning from COVID-19: Virtue Ethics, Pandemics and Environmental Degradation: A case study reading of The Andromeda Strain (1971) and Contagion (2011)

This paper uses virtue ethics to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak, Hollywood science-fiction/pandemic films, and the environmental crisis. We outline the ideas of hubris and nemesis and argue that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires that we develop virtues. We will explore these ethical issues through an eco-reading (Hiltner 2018) of two popular films cinematic representation of pandemics, The Andromeda Strain (1971) and Contagion (2011). Fictional narratives are particularly adept at celebrating the moral and intellectual virtues of individuals (as is standard in Hollywood cinema) and dramatizing the tensions inherent in human scientific and technological civilisation. Using examples from our texts and with reference to COVID-19, we begin with a discussion of virtues and vices, both individual and collective, we then explore the concept of flourishing and apply this framework to collective action problems such as climate change and COVID-19. Thus, science fiction can provoke new forms of environmental philosophising and ethical engagement, while addressing the most important challenges facing humanity at present

Cuestiones acerca del consentimiento informado relacionadas con el uso de trajes hápticos como tecnologías asistenciales para personas con discapacidad intelectual y del desarrollo

Technological innovation is seeing the convergence of haptic technologies with real-time 3D virtual environments and/or augmented reality technologies. Amongst the diverse applications of these innova- tions is their use as assistive technologies (ATs) for persons with devel - opmental and intellectual disabilities, or persons with cognitive deficits, such as dementia. This paper focuses on the question of informed consent in relation to researching and using these technologies (hereafter referred to simply as haptic suits). Informed consent is a standard requirement in research ethics, as well as in care scenarios, so it will be required for trials of haptic suits in general, and, when used as an ATs, will be required for use in care settings. Given the emphasis on involving persons with intellectual or de- velopmental disabilities (PIDD) in researching and designing ATs for their use, the question of informed consent is urgent.La innovación tecnológica está presenciando la convergencia de las tecnologías hápticas con los entornos virtuales 3D en tiempo real y/o las tecnologías de realidad aumentada. Entre las diversas aplicaciones de estas innovaciones se encuentra su uso como tecnologías asistenciales para personas con discapacidades de desarrollo e intelectuales, o personas con déficits cognitivos, como la demencia. Este artículo se centra en la cuestión del consentimiento informado en relación con la investigación y el uso de estas tecnologías (en lo sucesivo denominados simplemente trajes hápticos). El consentimiento informado es un requisito estándar en la ética de la investigación, así como en los escenarios de atención, por lo que será necesario para los ensayos con trajes hápticos en general y, cuando se utilicen como tecnología asistencial. Dado el énfasis en la participación de las personas con discapacidad intelectual o del desarrollo en la investigación y el diseño de las tecnologías asistenciales para su uso, la cuestión del consentimiento informado es apremiante