What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive Technology (AT) is a generic term thatAnother example: calculators are cheap, but a person
includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative deviceswith a mobility impairment can have difficulty using
and the process used in selecting, locating, and usingthem. Speech recognition software could recognize
them. AT promotes greater independence for peopleshort commands and make use of calculators a little
with disabilities by enabling them to perform taskseasier. People with cognitive disabilities would
that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or hadappreciate the simplicity; others would as well.
great difficulty accomplishing, by providingToys which have been adapted to be used by
enhancements to or changed methods of interactingchildren with disabilities, may have advantages for
with the technology needed to accomplish such"typical" children as well. The Lekotek movement
tasks. According to disability advocates, technology,assists parents by lending assistive technology toys
all too often, is created without regard to peopleand expertise to families.
with disabilities, and unnecessary barriers make newTelecare is a particular sort of assistive technology
technology inaccessible to hundreds of millions.that uses electronic sensors connected to an alarm
Universal (or broadened) accessibility, or universalsystem to help caregivers manage risk and help
design means excellent usability, particularly for peoplevulnerable people stay independent at home longer. A
with disabilities. But, argue advocates of assistivegood example would be the systems being put in
technology, universally accessible technology yieldsplace for senior people such as fall detectors,
great rewards to the typical user; good accessiblethermometers (for hypothermia risk), flooding and
design is universal design, they say. The classicunlit gas sensors (for people with mild dementia). The
example of an assistive technology that hasprinciple being that these alerts can be customised to
improved everyone's life is the "curb cuts" in thethe particular person's risks. When the alert is
sidewalk at street crossings. While these curb cutstriggered, a message is sent to a carer or contact
surely enable pedestrians with mobility impairments tocentre who can respond appropriately. The range of
cross the street, they have also aided parents withsensors is wide and expanding rapidly.
carriages and strollers, shoppers with carts, andTechnology similar to Telecare can also be used to
travellers and workers with pull-type bags, not toact within a person's home rather than just to
mention skateboarders and inline skaters.respond to a detected crisis. Using one of the
Consider an example of an assistive technology. Theexamples above, unlit gas sensors for people with
modern telephone is not accessible to people whodementia can be used to trigger a device that turns
are deaf or hard of hearing. Combined with a textoff the gas and tells someone what has happened.
telephone (also known as a TDD [Telephone DeviceThis is safer than just telling an external person that
for the Deaf] and in the USA generally called athere is a problem.
TTY[TeleTYpewriter]), which converts typedDesigning for people with dementia is a good
characters into tones that may be sent over theexample of where the design of the interface of a
telephone line, the deaf person is able topiece of assistive technology (AT) is critical to its
communicate immediately at a distance.usefulness. It is important to make sure that people
Together with "relay" services (where an operatorwith dementia or any other identified user group are
reads what the deaf person types and types what ainvolved in the design process to make sure that the
hearing person says) the deaf person is then givendesign is accessible and useable. In the example
access to everyone's telephone, not just those ofabove, a voice message could be used to remind the
people who possess text telephones. Manyperson with dementia to turn of the gas himself, but
telephones now have volume controls, which arewho's voice should be used, and what should the
primarily intended for the benefit of people who aremessage say? Questions like these must be
hard of hearing, but can be useful for all users atanswered through user consultation, involvement and
times and places where there is significantevaluation.
background noise.