Invention and Engineering

Assistive technology

Assistive technology (AT) is a term for assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and the elderly. People with disabilities often have difficulty performing activities of daily living (ADLs) independently, or even with assistance. ADLs are self-care activities that include toileting, mobility (ambulation), eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, and personal device care. Assistive technology can ameliorate the effects of disabilities that limit the ability to perform ADLs. Adaptive equipment promotes greater independence and creates new opportunities by enabling people to perform tasks they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks to allow for future success. For example, wheelchairs provide independent mobility for those who cannot walk, while assistive eating devices can enable people who cannot feed themselves to do so. Due to assistive technology, people with disabilities have an opportunity of a more positive and easygoing lifestyle, with an increase in "social participation", "security and control", and a greater chance to "reduce institutional costs without significantly increasing household expenses." In schools, assistive technology can be critical in allowing students with disabilities to access the general education curriculum. Students who experience challenges writing or keyboarding, for example, can use voice recognition software instead. Assistive technologies assist people who are recovering from strokes and people who have sustained injuries that affect their daily tasks. A recent study from India led by Edmond Fernandes et al. from Edward & Cynthia Institute of Public Health which was published in WHO SEARO Journal informed that geriatric care policies which address functional difficulties among older people ought to be mainstreamed, resolve out-of-pocket spending for assistive technologies, and look at government schemes for social protection.

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See also

• ▸CGR 1st Class 2-6-0 1876 Kitson
• ▸Cincinnati Music Hall
• ▸Howard Hughes

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