Tute Eight

Tutorial Eight: Assistive technology

Provide a definition of Assistive technology (your Cook and Hussey reading may be helpful with this).
Assistive equipment gives “support or aid”.
“Assistive equipment can help patients maximise independence in activities of daily living such as self care, home, work, school, and leisure activities. Assistive devices can also enhance health maintenance, deformity, prevention and energy conservation.”
Hopkins, H. & Smith, H (1993)
“Assistive technology is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices and the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. AT promotes greater independence for people with disabilities by enabling them to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to or changed methods of interacting with the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. Although, Cook & Hussey (2001)[1] report this term is usually not used for rehabilitative devices and for devices that able-bodied find useful. According to disability advocates, technology is often created without regard to people with disabilities, creating unnecessary barriers to hundreds of millions of people.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology

Describe one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial. Provide information on size, cost and functions.
Fiber optic eye blink switch
Size: Small clip with small sensor box attached.
Cost: $1068 all inclusive Works for the client when all the client can do is blink.

How does your chosen piece of equipment increased functional capacity for the user? Provide examples here from the tutorial and lecture.
Allows the client to control environment, to chose and do activities as opposed to not doing anything at all.