Assistive technology works as a very important means of attaining essential independent life for people with disabilities and the aged persons by applying the most ideal assistive technology device. However, our assistive technology service of our cou...
Assistive technology works as a very important means of attaining essential independent life for people with disabilities and the aged persons by applying the most ideal assistive technology device. However, our assistive technology service of our country is still in early stage compared to the welfare advanced countries, so many of people with disabilities and the aged persons are not receiving services related to that. According to this critical mind, this study tried to contribute to desirable policy making of assistive technology by drawing policy subjects that should be considered in order to revitalize domestic assistive technology service. The study questions were established in two aspects for this : first, drawing of policy subjects having priority on the service that should be considered to revitalize assistive technology service and second, drawing of policy subjects for development of industry. The industry had laid emphasis on connectivity with service.
In order to derive such policy subjects, this study first proceeded with study on literature from industrially developed countries with universal service system constructed such as the United States, Japan and Sweden. Factors that contributed to assistive technology service and revitalization of industry had been extracted from the literature in terms of law and system, service delivery system, and industry.
The experiment was conducted using delphi study method. A total of 84 experts on assistive technology were selected, as they had been filtered by a process composed of 3 rounds for reliability and stability analysis. The panel was composed of 61 experts in the last round.
The study results are summarized as follows. First, policy support of the government was determined to be the most important factor in consideration of policy subjects of assistive technology service, and specific form of governmental support was enactment of law including plans and budget.
Second, the most important part in alternative service policy was found to be construction of service delivery system and operation of professional service agencies. Specific form was operation of service centers with focus on state, and method of service was offering of customized service.
Third, the most important task in terms of industrial policy was also the construction of assistive technology service system. Although similar points had been made in the past by experiences of developed countries and results of previous studies, this study demonstrated it through positive experiment for the first time. In order to effectively construct the foundation of industrial policy, consideration of service system was deemed essential.
Fourth, the factor that was rated to be most important for revitalization of industry was construction of policy, systematic, and legal foundations. Construction of policy and system must be considered together with services and industry related to assistive technology, and the literature and researches examined by this study verified that such construction can be effective through continuous and long-term plans.
Lastly, the most essential factor for activation of assistive technology service was mutual connection of public wage policy by the government. Details and method of connection had the core in public wage policy and unified management of the recipients.
The following policy suggestions can be made for activation of assistive technology service based on the results of this study. First, enactment or amendment of law related to assistive technology is necessary as a part of construction of foundation for activation of assistive technology. The most important factor to be considered in the enactment or amendment of law is securing of sufficient budget, followed by decision of law that fits the conditions of our country. Considering political, economic and welfare conditions of Korea, form of individual laws like the United States and Japan is deemed more effective, and enactment of a new law is expected to be to more effective than amendment of existing laws.
Second, in terms of service delivery system, it is necessary to establish a region-based service system focused on state. For the service method, Sweden's expert-based state center model is more suitable for our society, and method of delivery system should have a mixed form of public and private parts like the models of Japan and the United States. In addition, by making the government and professional centers manage the supply of assistive devices by recognizing them as public goods, the market for assistive devices that is anticipated to experience market failures can be activated.
Third, unification of related laws and systems, unification of recipients and unified plan of management office are needed for systematic development and connection of assistive technology service and industry. In terms of recipient, the aged persons and people with disabilities must be managed together considering their physical status and characteristics of assistive device. In systematic perspective, unitive consideration of public supplies should be closely examined considering the fact that all rental and sales items of long-term care system the aged which are provided to the aged persons and assistive device item from current health insurance and medical supplies which are provided to people with disabilities. In terms of management method, unification and exclusive management of assistive technology related office are necessary. This unified management method can raise efficiency through connection between service and industry along with budget-cutting result at national level, and it can provide more effective service by reinforcing convenience and accessibility of use in aspects of consumers.
Lastly, a synthetic and concrete plan for revitalization of assistive technology service and industry must be provided at national level. A comprehensive plan necessarily requires a systematically connected approach, not mutually separated approach to service and industry. Assistive technology service and industry can never be promoted separately, and they bring out effective results when they are mutually connected.