Assistive Technology

This week's tutorial was all about assisstive devices and the role they play for people with disabilities.

According to Cook & Hussey (1995), assisstive technology is defined as "Any item, piece of equipment or product system that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities".

In our tutorial we had a "hands on" session to see how the devices worked. The one I liked the most was a communication device called a "Go Talk". The Go talk is a recording device that can store up to 100 variable and 5 static messages. It was relatively compact and was made of a hard plastic so it appeared durable. The cost of the Go Talk is approx $500.00.

The Go Talk could be used in a number of different ways to increase independence, for example a non-verbal school child could have messages such as "Hi, my name is Jacob" or "Could I have a bus ticket to Hamilton East please" recorded on to his device so that all he has to do is press the relevant button for the message to play.

Alternatively, they could also be used for individuals with short term memory loss, so instructions for, say, morning procedure, could be recorded onto the Go Talk, and used as prompts if necessary.

Cook. A., Hussey, S. (1995). Assisstive technologies principles & practice. Mosby: St Louis