Power Dynamics in Accessibility

The ways in which power operates within the systems that govern assistive technology provision, disability services, and access to accommodations. Power dynamics manifest through institutional gatekeeping (who defines what counts as AT and who qualifies), information asymmetry (who controls what families know about available options), temporal control (who determines timelines for assessments, funding, and provision), and assertive suppression (bureaucratic processes that wear down families' willingness to advocate). Research drawing on Jo Rowlands' framework identifies four forms of power relevant to accessibility: power-over (domination), power-to (agency and self-assertion), power-within (self-worth), and power-with (collective collaboration). Understanding these dynamics is essential for designing AT interventions that genuinely empower rather than reproduce existing inequities.