| The utility of any technology that is intended to be helpful is predicated on an accurate characterization of the needs of the population of targeted users. In the case of assistive technology, this relies on a certain conception of how a person with impairment experiences disability---otherwise known as a model of disability. Our contention is that computational assistive technology is always predicated, either implicitly or explicitly, on a model of disability; thus, disability models and the conception and design of the technology are linked in important ways.;Three models of disability prevail: the medical model, the social model, and the biopsychosocial model. We conduct an investigation into the appropriation and uptake of these models by those in a disability community. We employ online ethnography and data mining techniques to identify salient elements of the discourse within the disability community that is supported on the BBC website, Ouch! We develop techniques for distinguishing among different types of community members and conversations and for gathering data about views that are expressed about models of disability. Our analysis shows limited uptake of the biopsychosocial model, as well as an on-going questioning of the constructs upon which disability models are based. |
