Disability, Society and Assistive Technology

Disability, Society and Assistive Technology
Author: Bodil Ravneberg
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Total Pages: 121
Release: 2017-03-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317150074

The provision of assistive technology is an important individual and collective service of the welfare state. The state plays a significant role towards linking users and products, and the matching of devices and users is both a science and an art. However, many people feel it is stigmatising to use individually designed assistive technologies as they often, in a subtle way, convey discriminating barriers in society. The major challenges of assistive technology are thus to reduce social exclusion and marginalisation and, importantly, to reduce individual risks and societal costs related to non-use due to deficiencies in usability, aesthetics and design of the technologies. This groundbreaking book discusses the relationships among society, disability and technology by using different empirical examples (e.g., school, everyday life) to show why the combination of disability studies and STS-studies (science, technology and society) is a fruitful approach to understanding and meeting these challenges. The book explores the significance of the technologies for users, society and the field; identifies challenges to designing, adopting and using assistive technologies; and points at theoretical challenges in research as well as professional challenges in assistive technology service provision. The book also scrutinises the role of assistive technology devices, as well as the organisational structure of the assistive technology market, in relation to disabled people’s lives. This book will be valuable reading for students, academics, teachers and social educators interested in Disability Studies, STS Studies, Product Design, Sociology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, as well as engineers working in the field of assistive technology.

Community-based Rehabilitation

Community-based Rehabilitation
Author: World Health Organization
Publisher:
Total Pages: 452
Release: 2010
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9789241548052

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

Cook & Hussey's Assistive Technologies

Cook & Hussey's Assistive Technologies
Author: Albert M. Cook
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
Total Pages: 593
Release: 2008-01-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0323039073

It's here: the latest edition of the one text you need to master assistive strategies, make confident clinical decisions, and help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Based on the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model, Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice, 4th Edition provides detailed coverage of the broad range of devices, services, and practices that comprise assistive technology, and focuses on the relationship between the human user and the assisted activity within specific contexts. Updated and expanded, this new edition features coverage of new ethical issues, more explicit applications of the HAAT model, and a variety of global issues highlighting technology applications and service delivery in developing countries. Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) framework demonstrates assistive technology within common, everyday contexts for more relevant application. Focus on clinical application guides you in applying concepts to real-world situations. Review questions and chapter summaries in each chapter help you assess your understanding and identify areas where more study is needed. Content on the impact of AT on children and the role of AT in play and education for children with disabilities demonstrates how AT can be used for early intervention and to enhance development. Coverage of changing AT needs throughout the lifespan emphasizes how AT fits into people's lives and contributes to their full participation in society. Principles and practice of assistive technology provides the foundation for effective decision-making. NEW! Global issues content broadens the focus of application beyond North America to include technology applications and service delivery in developing countries. NEW! Ethical issues and occupational justice content exposes you to vital information as you start interacting with clients. NEW! More case studies added throughout the text foster an understanding of how assistive technologies are used and how they function. NEW! Updated content reflects current technology and helps keep you current. NEW! Explicit applications of the HAAT model in each of the chapters on specific technologies and more emphasis on the interactions among the elements make content even easier to understand.

Disability, Society and Assistive Technology

Disability, Society and Assistive Technology
Author: Bodil Ravneberg
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2017-03-27
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317150066

The provision of assistive technology is an important individual and collective service of the welfare state. The state plays a significant role towards linking users and products, and the matching of devices and users is both a science and an art. However, many people feel it is stigmatising to use individually designed assistive technologies as they often, in a subtle way, convey discriminating barriers in society. The major challenges of assistive technology are thus to reduce social exclusion and marginalisation and, importantly, to reduce individual risks and societal costs related to non-use due to deficiencies in usability, aesthetics and design of the technologies. This groundbreaking book discusses the relationships among society, disability and technology by using different empirical examples (e.g., school, everyday life) to show why the combination of disability studies and STS-studies (science, technology and society) is a fruitful approach to understanding and meeting these challenges. The book explores the significance of the technologies for users, society and the field; identifies challenges to designing, adopting and using assistive technologies; and points at theoretical challenges in research as well as professional challenges in assistive technology service provision. The book also scrutinises the role of assistive technology devices, as well as the organisational structure of the assistive technology market, in relation to disabled people’s lives. This book will be valuable reading for students, academics, teachers and social educators interested in Disability Studies, STS Studies, Product Design, Sociology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, as well as engineers working in the field of assistive technology.

The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation

The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 503
Release: 2017-09-01
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 030945784X

The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that 56.7 million Americans had some type of disability in 2010, which represents 18.7 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population included in the 2010 Survey of Income and Program Participation. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits through the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. As of December 2015, approximately 11 million individuals were SSDI beneficiaries, and about 8 million were SSI beneficiaries. SSA currently considers assistive devices in the nonmedical and medical areas of its program guidelines. During determinations of substantial gainful activity and income eligibility for SSI benefits, the reasonable cost of items, devices, or services applicants need to enable them to work with their impairment is subtracted from eligible earnings, even if those items or services are used for activities of daily living in addition to work. In addition, SSA considers assistive devices in its medical disability determination process and assessment of work capacity. The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation provides an analysis of selected assistive products and technologies, including wheeled and seated mobility devices, upper-extremity prostheses, and products and technologies selected by the committee that pertain to hearing and to communication and speech in adults.

The Future of Disability in America

The Future of Disability in America
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 619
Release: 2007-10-24
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309104726

The future of disability in America will depend on how well the U.S. prepares for and manages the demographic, fiscal, and technological developments that will unfold during the next two to three decades. Building upon two prior studies from the Institute of Medicine (the 1991 Institute of Medicine's report Disability in America and the 1997 report Enabling America), The Future of Disability in America examines both progress and concerns about continuing barriers that limit the independence, productivity, and participation in community life of people with disabilities. This book offers a comprehensive look at a wide range of issues, including the prevalence of disability across the lifespan; disability trends the role of assistive technology; barriers posed by health care and other facilities with inaccessible buildings, equipment, and information formats; the needs of young people moving from pediatric to adult health care and of adults experiencing premature aging and secondary health problems; selected issues in health care financing (e.g., risk adjusting payments to health plans, coverage of assistive technology); and the organizing and financing of disability-related research. The Future of Disability in America is an assessment of both principles and scientific evidence for disability policies and services. This book's recommendations propose steps to eliminate barriers and strengthen the evidence base for future public and private actions to reduce the impact of disability on individuals, families, and society.

Challenges for Assistive Technology

Challenges for Assistive Technology
Author: Gorka Eizmendi
Publisher: IOS Press
Total Pages: 972
Release: 2007
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1586037919

In the 21st century Assistive Technology (AT) should be defined as a scientific and technologic approach to the development of products and services oriented to support the elderly and people with disabilities in their daily activities, maximizing their personal autonomy, independence, health and quality of life.

Computer Resources for People with Disabilities

Computer Resources for People with Disabilities
Author: Alliance for Technology Access
Publisher:
Total Pages: 364
Release: 1996
Genre: Computers
ISBN:

Current computer hardware and software can give people with any kind of disability new ways to interact with the world. In this book, The Alliance for Technology Access brings together user-friendly support, information, and up-to-date answers to all your questions including how to make use of conventional, assistive, and information technologies; real-life stories about people of all ages and disabilities who are using technology successfully; a "toolbox" section with the latest computer technology, including screen enhancements, speech synthesizers, and customized keyboards; and a full list of support organizations, vendors, publications, and online resources to contact for more information. This second edition includes hundreds of new and updated listings in the resource section.

Making Computers Accessible

Making Computers Accessible
Author: Elizabeth R. Petrick
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 207
Release: 2015-06-01
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 1421416476

The revolution in accessible computer technology was fueled by disability activism, the interactive nature of personal computers, and changing public policy. In 1974, not long after developing the first universal optical character recognition technology, Raymond Kurzweil struck up a conversation with a blind man on a flight. Kurzweil explained that he was searching for a use for his new software. The blind man expressed interest: One of the frustrating obstacles that blind people grappled with, he said, was that no computer program could translate text into speech. Inspired by this chance meeting, Kurzweil decided that he must put his new innovation to work to “overcome this principal handicap of blindness.” By 1976, he had built a working prototype, which he dubbed the Kurzweil Reading Machine. This type of innovation demonstrated the possibilities of computers to dramatically improve the lives of people living with disabilities. In Making Computers Accessible, Elizabeth R. Petrick tells the compelling story of how computer engineers and corporations gradually became aware of the need to make computers accessible for all people. Motivated by user feedback and prompted by legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, which offered the promise of equal rights via technological accommodation, companies developed sophisticated computerized devices and software to bridge the accessibility gap. People with disabilities, Petrick argues, are paradigmatic computer users, demonstrating the personal computer’s potential to augment human abilities and provide for new forms of social, professional, and political participation. Bridging the history of technology, science and technology studies, and disability studies, this book traces the psychological, cultural, and economic evolution of a consumer culture aimed at individuals with disabilities, who increasingly rely on personal computers to make their lives richer and more interconnected.

Disability in Science Fiction

Disability in Science Fiction
Author: K. Allan
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2015-12-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1137343435

In this groundbreaking collection, twelve international scholars – with backgrounds in disability studies, English and world literature, classics, and history – discuss the representation of dis/ability, medical "cures," technology, and the body in science fiction.