The design of appropriate rehabilitation technology requires the careful consideration of numerous interdependent design parameters. The technical, functional, economic, and cultural environments in which the technology will be used must be well understood and accounted for if a design is to be successful. This paper presents a case study of these issues within the context of rural and low income India, wherein novel 'low-height' mobility devices for disabled women were designed and fabricated. Using this design philosophy, a path was ultimately negotiated between the ideal and pragmatic dimensions of rehabilitation technology development.
Mobility is critical to the fabric of human society.
It is essential for almost all aspects of daily self-care, work and play. It is the effort to remove these barriers to participation which has led to the design and development of better mobility devices. Although great technological advances in rehabilitation technology have been realized in the West, these advances are not always easily transferable to developing countries. To account for this difficulty, effort has been spent on developing 'appropriate technology' - technology which considers the economic and cultural environments in which it will be used. Although progress has been achieved, the need remains staggeringly high.