Technology deleting boundaries
Technology That Makes Life Easier
Innovation creates progress, which can be defined as making people’s lives easier. Some groups of people face challenges others don’t, whether due to disability, social background, economic situation, gender, or some other reason. Technology should be neutral and serve as a tool to bridge those gaps.
For people with disabilities, assistive technology (AT) is a cornerstone of day-to-day life, allowing them to overcome obstacles and do things that might otherwise seem impossible. What are assistive technologies? What do they do? Simply put, they are products that help people with physical, mental, or other forms of disabilities perform daily activities that would be hard or impossible without them. Additionally, AT can be used as a medical product for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, if the manufacturer specifies that. In such cases, these types of AT devices can be classified as medical devices. Unless a manufacturer states that the product should be used by individuals with disabilities, it can be used by anyone, and in that case, it should not be considered a medical device. However, some assistive technologies can have more functions than originally intended.
Why Are Assistive Technologies Important?
Freedom and independence are basic rights of every human being. These are the main conditions for a person to live a life with dignity. Not being able to do things that those around you accomplish effortlessly, either without assistance or at all, can place emotional and/or mental strain on a person. As technology continues to evolve, these problems are diminishing. A fantastic example of what assistive technology can do is Stephen Hawking’s famous speech-generating program, which allowed him to communicate his astounding ideas to the scientific community, leading to groundbreaking discoveries.
There are many benefits of assistive technology. Besides enabling people with disabilities to gain independence, it is becoming an essential part of social and educational inclusion. For example, students can access learning materials in a form they can use and understand most effectively, such as by changing the color, font size, shape, or even the media format to meet the person’s needs. In addition to people with disabilities, many older individuals face hearing problems, which can be overcome with hearing devices.
Types of Assistive Technologies
There are many ways to classify assistive technologies. These can be based on the type of function they perform, the type of users they support, the specific disability they address, the media they are on, and more. Here, we will discuss just a few of them, classified by the type of disability they assist.
Many people with hearing impairments wear hearing aid devices to enhance their hearing. These tiny devices help them understand the people they are communicating with. Nowadays, sign language can often be seen on television programs. Thanks to the invention of video calls, people with hearing impairments can communicate with those who know sign language, without having to type long messages. Of course, the other person can also type their responses to what the person with hearing impairment said. One of the more interesting assistive technologies is the captioned telephone—a device that turns spoken words into text displayed on a screen. Additionally, some applications transfer spoken words into text in real time. Safety is important to everyone, so alerting systems like doorbell flashers, vibrating alarm clocks, and smoke detectors are real-life savers. Some streaming services also offer closed captioning and subtitles for movies and shows.
People with motor disabilities have a variety of assistive technologies at their disposal. Those with mobility issues often use wheelchairs, which come in two main types: manual and motorized. Manual wheelchairs are operated by the user or an assistant. Prosthetics and orthotics are artificial limbs and devices that aid mobility. Smart homes are gaining popularity, with systems allowing users to control everyday items like lights, televisions, and doors through simple voice commands. Voice-activated systems also enable users to operate smartphones without typing. Seating and positioning systems aid posture and there are many specialized tools, such as pen devices that help with writing or drawing.
When it comes to visually impaired people, the first technology that comes to mind is screen readers (you can read more about them in our blog about blind programmers). These tools read the content on the screen to visually impaired users. Thanks to Braille, blind individuals can read. Braille technology has evolved so much that we now have Braille keyboards, printers, and even Braille displays—tactile devices that convert text on the screen to Braille characters. Software that enlarges content displayed on the screen is called magnification software. These tools are typically available on most everyday devices. People with visual disabilities also often use audiobooks, which are accessible through various programs, organizations, and institutions that convert physical books into audio formats.
Technology Leads to Equality
We have barely scratched the surface of the different assistive technologies that are making a giant leap forward in terms of including people with disabilities in the modern world. A variety of assistive technologies, ranging from basic crutches to adapted cars, are enabling users to do things that were once considered impossible!
We at Fourity use some of these technologies for our clients in the USA to help people with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. While working on this, we gained an understanding of the challenges people with disabilities face.
As technology continues to evolve, the boundaries set by disabilities will continue to shrink and, hopefully, will eventually disappear. However, it is important to note that much has already been achieved, and there is still room for further progress.
