Social Robots: Views of Staff of a Disability Service Organization

Social robotics is an emerging field, with many applications envisioned for people with disabilities. This project examined the so far invisible views of disability service organization workers towards social robotics. Because community service workers' views shape community-based rehabilitation (an area of health interventions that focuses on social determinants), it is important to examine their views towards social robotics applications which are largely developed under a clinical/medical view of disability. We administered a survey to employees of a Saskatchewan disability service organization. Out of 44 respondents, 80 % were female, most aged 21-65 years. Robotics applications perceived to be important included domestic robots, and rehabilitation robots. Least important applications included eldercare robots, companion robots, and pet robots. Most participants felt that robots cannot replace human touch, human interaction, or emotional companionship, and that they cannot/should not replace human workers in the disability setting. Many expressed concerns about safety, normality for disabled people, and artificial interactions. Respondents also had views on whether a social robot can be a bully or could be bullied. We submit that the perspectives our respondents exhibited might be useful to consider in the development of social robots for applications around disability in order to ensure acceptable and relevant products.