What is assistive technology, how does it aid people with disabilities and what innovations are out there that you may not have heard of?
Assistive Technology as defined by Independent Living Centres Australia –
“is any device, system or design, that allows an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise be unable to do, or increase the ease and safety with which a task can be performed, or anything that assists individuals to carry-out daily activities.”
What currently exists that can assist those with disability interact with their environment and surrounds better? Today we are going to explore three incredible technologies that are available right now.
What is it? : Simply put, the Headmouse Nano makes a mouse or trackpad accessible for users with limited use of their hands. This incredible device is able to interpret a users head movements and move the cursor on the screen accordingly.
How does it work: The user places a small disposable target on their glasses, cap, or forehead that allows the device to track the movements of the head. One of the best features of this device is that the user doesn’t need any special software to run on any computer. It is simply just plug and play, with the computer recognizing it as a run of the mill mouse.
What is it?: The c-pen reader is a pocket-sized device that almost magically reads printed text in a clear English voice. The user simply runs the c-pen over the text that is to be narrated (think of using a highlighter) and through some ingenious technology the text is read aloud.
Where can I buy: Spectronics offer a huge range of inclusive learning technologies and have a selection of products that will be able to assist those with disabilities.
What is it?: Traditional keyboards (Small black text on white keys) can be difficult for those with vision impairments to see. The beauty of a high contrast keyboard is that is provides stark color differences so that is easier to see for those with vision impairments.
Where can I buy: Spectronics offer a wide range of options of keyboards, from colorful keyboards to high contrast options like the one pictured.
At Techware we are passionate about inclusion, accessibility and creating equal opportunities for all. Over the past couple of months we have been creating content around accessibility in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Facebook and many other really interesting topics.
You could always just jump over to our blog and check out many more topics!