Transcript assistive_technologies

Assistive technology for people
with disabilities: overview
Svetlana Vasilyeva
Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program
Pennsylvania State University
College of Education
11/3/ 2009
What is assistive technology?
You can find more than one definition:
1. Assistive technology (AT) is a generic term that includes
assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people
with disabilities and includes the process used in selecting,
locating, and using them.
2. Assistive technology products are designed to provide
additional accessibility to individuals who have physical or
cognitive difficulties, impairments, and disabilities. When
selecting assistive technology products, it is crucial to find
products that are compatible with the computer
operating system and programs on the particular
computer being used.
3. Assistive technology devices are tools for living that
include any piece of equipment that is used to increase
the independence of an individual with a disability. They
include very low tech items like built up spoons to high
tech computer-based systems that allow people to
control their environment.
Types of assistive technologies
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Job Accommodation
Seating and Positioning
Computer Access
Cognitive and Learning Aids
Aids for Daily Living
Vehicle Modifications
Switch Access
Environmental Control
Home Modifications
Visual and Reading Aids, Mobility
Augmentative Communication
Recreation
Assisted Listening Devices
Why is it important?
Assistive Technology is “about the inclusion of
people with disabilities in every aspect of
society and how technology can serve this
process as a tool.”
 It means that technology helps people with
disabilities to be more independent, more
successful, more self-confident.
 They can do with technologies things which
seemed impossible for them: type text using
the mouth, read books being blind, talking
with people when person couldn't speak at
all.
A big world of assistive technologies
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Today you can find a big variety of
assistive technologies on global
markets. They range from very simple
devices to quite complicated.
You can find a piece of equipment
for each category of people with
disabilities, from mild to very
significant.
One point: most of these
technologies are very expensive.
Technologies for people who have
communication disorders
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AAC (Augmentative Alternative
Communication) to enhance an individual's
communication and interaction with their
surroundings. This can include an integrated
group of, strategies and techniques, symbols,
picture boards, pencil/paper, or an electronic
communication device.
High-tech such as "Dynamic Display"
software-- a communication board displayed
upon a computer monitor screen
automatically changes to a different level
(board) when a selection is made.
Examples of Technologies for people
who have communication disorders
Pathfinder
Dynavox
Freedom 2000
Speech recognition software
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The most popular today is
Dragon naturallyspeaking
program. This software is
developed by Dragon
Systems and sold by
Nuance Communications.
Speech recognition or
voice recognition programs,
allow people to give
commands and enter data
using their voices rather
than a mouse or keyboard.
Assistive technologies for people who
are blind or have low vision
Screen readers
 Text-to-Speech (TTS) or speech
synthesizers receive information going
to the screen in the form of letters,
numbers, and punctuation marks,
and then "speak" it out loud in a
computerized voice.
Magnifiers
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Screen enlargers, or screen
magnifiers, work like a magnifying
glass for the computer by enlarging a
portion of the screen which can
increase legibility and make it easier
to see items on the computer. Some
screen enlargers allow a person to
zoom in and out on a particular area
of the screen.
Examples of Magnifiers
Onyx
Acrobat Short Arm
Flipper
Examples of Magnifiers
EyePal
ZoomText
CCTV
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In addition, people with low vision
can use Closed circuit television
(CCTV) or video magnifiers. Printed
materials and objects are placed
under a camera and the magnified
image is displayed onto a screen.
You can change colors, letter's size
and some more.
Examples of CCTV
Merlin Plus
Enhanced Vision Topaz CRT
Refreshable braille or tactile displays
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Refreshable Braille displays provide
tactile output of information
represented on the computer screen.
A Braille "cell" is composed of a series
of dots. The pattern of the dots and
various combinations of the cells are
used in place of letters.
Refreshable braille or tactile displays
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Refreshable Braille displays
mechanically lift small rounded
plastic or metal pins as needed to
form Braille characters. The user reads
the Braille letters with his or her fingers,
and then, after a line is read, can
refresh the display to read the next
line.
Examples of Refreshable braille or
tactile displays
Braille Connect 12
Focus 40
BrailleNote mPower
QT32
Examples of Refreshable braille or
tactile displays
Seika
Braille embossers (printers)
Тhis equipment helps to
convert electronic text into
Braille format and print or
emboss it making accessible
for people who are blind. At
first we need to edit text using
special software and then just
send it to the printer.
Embosser makes a paper with
raised dots. Similarly, we can
produce tactile graphic
(raised pictures) which
people who are blind can
see with their fingers.
Technologies for people with learning
difficulties
Reading tools and learning
disabilities programs include
software and hardware designed to
make text-based materials more
accessible for people who have
difficulty with reading.
 Options can include scanning,
reformatting, navigating, or
speaking text out loud.
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Technologies for people with learning
difficulties
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These programs
are helpful for
those who have
difficulty seeing or
manipulating
conventional print
materials
Example of this is
Curzweil 3000. It is
Reading, study
skill, and writing
support software.
Thank you!!
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If you have any questions you can ask
them now or write to me later by email:
[email protected]
Svetlana Vasilyeva