Products we purchase are much more than artefacts that fulfil functional needs in our life. We have grown to enact our consumer choices, even those regarding fast moving consumable goods, with careful considerations informed by numerous trials, recommendations and, growingly, environmental concerns in mind. Advanced manufacturing and progress in research and development are providing more choices for consumers even in quite specific and complex product markets. An exemption to this market trend is represented by assistive technologies (ATs). This is a relatively underdeveloped context despite the growing demands for assistive devices by those in later life who need either support in accomplishing everyday life to stay independent or have complex co-occurring conditions. In this chapter, we explore why ATs, especially for older adults, are underdeveloped by exploring issues related to design approaches and cultural and social perceptions that have contributed to making consumers more or less sensitive and demanding towards the role of ATs in their lives. The chapter will conclude with recommendations that may be able to shift the perception of assistive devices so as to facilitate the user's emotional investment in the devices, attachment to them, which, in return, may lead to better adherence and faster adoption.

Interactive Smart Agents (ISA) like Amazon Echo are rapidly becoming part of our households. These devices are controlled by the user through conversations in natural language. In turn, these agents control other smart devices around the house. Similar control functionalities are provided by Environmental Control (EC) devices issued to people with severe mobility impairments. EC devices are controlled by scan and click methods (also known as switch methods). In case of severe physical impairments such EC control mechanisms become time consuming, frustrating and undignified. These methods rely on the little available mobility of these patients and don't allow them to use the intact cognitive and communication skills they typically retain. This paper argues that an EC device based on voicecontrolled ISA could be an option to enable SCI patients to have a better quality of life. However, the current design and development of ISA devices makes them dependent on internet for all the speech processing. Which raises issues related to reliability, security and privacy. ISA devices are designed as mainstream consumer technology. However, the patients' demand for ISA instead of traditional EC devices is growing. However due to the shortfalls, ISA are only prescribed in pilot cases. If the technology and design of ISA were to be addressed, they would represent a significant saving to the National Health Services (NHS). This paper aims to highlight the need for a usercentered investigation on the design of ISA based EC devices.