Technology, Love and Disability: How divisive is it?

English community Living Themes Relationships & Sexuality
1

Long ago, stories of persons with disabilities falling in love were rare, as they were interesting, with most people curious to find out what brought an able bodied person and a person with disability together. The first thing that came to mind was sympathy, and this has always dominated discussions around love between able bodied persons and persons with disabilities.

What was more rare and almost forbidden, was love between two persons with disabilities, of whichever disabilities. Although it was not written, and still its not written anywhere that two persons with disabilities should not fall in love, society does not view a relationship between two persons with disabilities in positive light. It always wonders how the two will help each other out, never mind nobody dares ask that question allowed. Yet despite these, blind men marry blind ladies and so do deaf ladies get married to fellow deaf men. Need I go far? Just look at the movie CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) The child is a product of love of two deaf people who can't keep off each other.

Such relationships are bound to occur more often than the society wants to admit because of its own making. Due to discrimination and segregation, persons with disabilities find themselves together for a long period of time such that feelings begin to develop over time and there's no turning back.

Some persons with disabilities may also feel that only their kind may understand them so they may resort to finding partners that have a similar kind of disability. They may feel that a person who doesn't have a disability like them may not understand them 100% or maybe the person may grow tired down the road and call off the relationship altogether.

But in recent times, there has been an increased uptake in assistive Technology which is also becoming integrated in everyday gadgets, meaning more freedom and independence for persons with disabilities. From smart houses and smart cars and AI powered glasses for the blind, the role of an assistant is decreasing by the day.

Two persons with disabilities with wheelchairs can lead independent lives as a couple thanks to technology. 20 years ago this would be unheard of.

What then does this contend for persons with disabilities and dating in general? Are we likely to see a decline in interabled couples because of an uptake in IoT and assistive technology? Or are we to experience an upsurge in interabled relationships because of the increased understanding of disability by the general population and mass adoption of assistive technology for convenience of even those without disabilities?

Does this mean more choices for persons with disabilities in the dating scene or are we likely to see isolation of persons with disabilities in dating, as they turn to bots and robots for romantic partners? I mean, Replika has the option of selecting an AI robot for a romantic partner..Could technology be pushing persons with disabilities and the general population away from genuine human to human connections or is technology enhancing human to human connections more so for persons with disabilities?

@MikkiTarz What do you think?

2

A great piece albeit well researched. Lots of sympathy exist when couples with disability mingle. The same is said of couples where one of the spouses has no disability.

Let's be real here and allow love to be paramount. I've witnessed persons with disability bring forth beautiful and disciplined families leave alone the strength with which love binds such families.

'Love is blind'

3

In the recent years there have been sensitization in regards to disability issues for the development and inclusion in different professions. Although Love is still being accepted gradually it may take time to change the mental perspective of the society concerning marriage. What's more important is the Foundation of Marriage which is love.

Love endures it all, through the invention of Technology makes life easier with all house chores, Entertainment, Checking up on your health just at the comfort of your home with your life partner.

4

My aunt would say," You marry people that are within your circle." In this she meant, the people that you see and interact with almost in a daily basis form a firm basis on your dating pool. This is evidenced by the fact that, couples meet almost everywhere and anywhere and in that moment that forms the niche where you belong.

So for interabled couples, it might be an indication of the social aspect of all people easily coming together. I for one, having learnt in a class where I was the only person with disability, I found myself accustomed to that. I've found my way round that that I find it seamless to blend in. And vice versa for those who went to special schools. I believe with the rise of technology, there can be an increase in interabled couples since technology to a point helps reduce the inabilities that we face.

And with the rise of wide spread media and talk on disability, it would help people view persons with disability like any other. This would help alot in increasing the number of interabled relationships. I'm eager to see what the future holds for us.

5

Long ago, stories of persons with disabilities falling in love were rare, as they were interesting, with most people curious to find out what brought an able bodied person and a person with disability together. The first thing that came to mind was sympathy, and this has always dominated discussions around love between able bodied persons and persons with disabilities.

What was more rare and almost forbidden, was love between two persons with disabilities, of whichever disabilities. Although it was not written, and still its not written anywhere that two persons with disabilities should not fall in love, society does not view a relationship between two persons with disabilities in positive light. It always wonders how the two will help each other out, never mind nobody dares ask that question allowed. Yet despite these, blind men marry blind ladies and so do deaf ladies get married to fellow deaf men. Need I go far? Just look at the movie CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) The child is a product of love of two deaf people who can't keep off each other.

Such relationships are bound to occur more often than the society wants to admit because of its own making. Due to discrimination and segregation, persons with disabilities find themselves together for a long period of time such that feelings begin to develop over time and there's no turning back.

Some persons with disabilities may also feel that only their kind may understand them so they may resort to finding partners that have a similar kind of disability. They may feel that a person who doesn't have a disability like them may not understand them 100% or maybe the person may grow tired down the road and call off the relationship altogether.

But in recent times, there has been an increased uptake in assistive Technology which is also becoming integrated in everyday gadgets, meaning more freedom and independence for persons with disabilities. From smart houses and smart cars and AI powered glasses for the blind, the role of an assistant is decreasing by the day.

Two persons with disabilities with wheelchairs can lead independent lives as a couple thanks to technology. 20 years ago this would be unheard of.

What then does this contend for persons with disabilities and dating in general? Are we likely to see a decline in interabled couples because of an uptake in IoT and assistive technology? Or are we to experience an upsurge in interabled relationships because of the increased understanding of disability by the general population and mass adoption of assistive technology for convenience of even those without disabilities?

Does this mean more choices for persons with disabilities in the dating scene or are we likely to see isolation of persons with disabilities in dating, as they turn to bots and robots for romantic partners? I mean, Replika has the option of selecting an AI robot for a romantic partner..Could technology be pushing persons with disabilities and the general population away from genuine human to human connections or is technology enhancing human to human connections more so for persons with disabilities?

@MikkiTarz What do you think?

6

Very nice piece @BKiwu.

I always love tech in that for me it helps when it comes to convenience and making life easy. Use of an automated wheelchair would mean some level of independence holding accessibility constant.

Being independent is the main agenda and that can be helped with use of technology.

In relationships, I think a partner wants someone who is independent and on top of it be able to do for the an extra for them. For PwD, it's slightly hard as you might not be able to attain full independence unless use of technological devices.

7

Enjoyed reading this at @BKiwu. Technology has definitely revolutionalized the lives of disabled, and by extension, their love lives.

The fact that you can virtually shop, easily drive to whichever place you want to (thanks to adaptive cars), have baby strollers that can easily attach to your wheelchair, means the barriers that could have discouraged dating are nolonger there.

Ofcourse, I am looking at this from my world. But generally, PWDs can now do many things by themselves as a result of Technology. It therefore should not be a problem for a PWD dating a PWD, or an abled person dating a PWD. It's a high time the society fixed its attitude towards PWDs and Love.