Cosimo Galluzzi
cherry valley forever
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
Janaina Medeiros
@theartofmadeline
No title available
JVL
No title available
DEAR READER
Sweet Seals For You, Always
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
trying on a metaphor
titsay
Cosmic Funnies
No title available
oozey mess
sheepfilms
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Alisa U Zemlji Chuda
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Romania
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Greece
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from Australia
seen from Ukraine
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Singapore
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Malaysia
@cbaumbach1
The Periodic Table of AAC
I found this while looking at Pinterest and thought that it was a fun way to organize everything that we’ve talked about regarding AAC devices this semester. It is color coded and contains a lot of information. It may come in handy if we are looking into these devices for our future clients.
This video is about how a Starbucks in Florida utilizes video technology to help assist in communication between the workers and the customers who are deaf. This use of technology helps promote people who have a hearing impairment to use the drive thru, and experience the social engagement.
I have never thought too hard about individuals with hearing impairments utilizing the drive thru option. This is an amazing way to adapt it for them. As Tara pointed out, the social engagement involved in this makes a huge impact on the person, even if it only makes up a small part of their day. Those with hearing impairments can make a quick run to get some food in the same way that many others do with no hassle.
Satalight SMART Board
This company wanted to make SMART boards, something that can be found in a lot of classrooms, beneficial for all students, including those with disabilities. This link shows their timeline of trialing their product and then chronicles the changes that they made in order to make their product better. We have talked in class about making sure that the product we choose for a client fits them. This company has proven that this is their game plan as well. They took the time to make sure that their product would be successful to more than just one type of user.
http://www.mysatalight.com/About/index.asp
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_1U4JmaYB8)
This video depicts a typical breakfast routine for Maggie, a young girl suffering from Rett Syndrome. This specific video shows how well she is able to use her AAC. I am not exactly sure which system she is using, but she is very good at it and answers questions quickly. This video shows how an AAC device can be incorporated into a normal routine without taking away from that normalcy. The family that posted this video has a YouTube channel called Magnolia’s Hope, and I encourage everyone to check it out! They post videos about everyday things that they do with Maggie, and help to get the word out about Rett Syndrome!
A man has built Ogo, a hands-free wheelchair for his paraplegic friend (video)
This is awesome!!! And I’m pretty positive I have seen a student on campus who has one of these.
We talked about this in class the other day! People are so creative and this would definitely be a good thing to have available to future clients. I hope that this takes off and is available in the health care world! This would have an incredible impact on someone’s quality of life and improve their independence.
Braille Smartphone
A lot of us have hopped on the technology bandwagon, and have multiple devices that we use (tablet, iPad, smartphone, iPod, etc.). Technology is there to make our lives easier. In most cases, it does. What we don’t stop to consider, though, is that not everyone is able to use technology the way that we are able to. There are many different features on devices that cater to those with disabilities, and they have immensely improved daily tasks for people. As future OTs, we need to keep all of these handy tools and features in our back pockets so that we may utilize them with our clients. Here is another tool for us future OTs: a smartphone that takes ordinary documents and images and translates them to Braille. There are still a lot of people out there who have visual impairments and benefit from Braille text. There are other devices on the market that do similar things, but imagine giving a smartphone-like device for a client that can do all of this for them. It would allow them to continue to use a system (Braille) that they are already familiar with in their everyday lives. This product was introduced by Kriyate, which is based in India, and is in the testing phase. How cool would this be if it comes to the American market and is available for our clients?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2013/04/24/breakthrough-braille-smartphones-for-the-blind/
Unit 2 In interventions class we talked about telehealth and how it was being used in therapy sessions. Telehealth allows you to basically Skype your clients to instantly see them if they are having a problem or to conduct a therapy session. This is a blog on Feedly of an OT that utilizes telehealth and she takes you through her typical day of this type of therapy session. She goes in detail about her day and the clients she treats without physically being present with them. There is also a video in the link that demonstrates how a typical session goes. This is an interesting way to treat clients, especially if they are having difficulty completing a task and needs quick guidance at that moment.
I have been interested to see how useful telehealth is. It was a very interesting concept to me when it was brought up in class, so having this resource to see how it is utilized in everyday therapy is awesome. I like that this could be a starting point for us as future OTs if we ever need to conduct sessions via telehealth and we aren't sure where to begin.
UNIT 2:
OpticKey is an assistive onscreen keyboard software for Windows. Julius Sweetland, the creator of OpticKey, designed the software to be used with any low cost eye tracking device. The target population: individuals diagnosed with ALS or Motor Neuron Disease. This software offers speech as well as keyboard and mouse control to these individuals. Though designed with the intention to be used with an eye tracking device, OpticKey’s functions can also be achieved through clicks of the mouse or using a webcam. For those using an eye tracking device with OpticKey, dwell selection is utilized. Additionally, type speed is made faster by OpticKey’s feature of word completion. The most amazing thing about this software: it is completely 100% free. Having a personal connection to someone who had ALS, Julius Sweetland recognized the importance of a software such as OpticKey with this population, as well as the need to offer a product that contrasts the extremely expensive AAC devices out there. OpticKey is likely to make a large impact in the field of assistive technology, and specifically computer access for this population. There are numerous customizable settings and a user’s guide to aid setup of the software as well as understanding of the multiple features. The ability to be switch compatible is great for such a product and allows accommodation for individuals of various MND stages to access the computer. Though this is a new product, I believe it has a bright future. Improvements will likely be made, and its impact will continue to grow. I look forward to more and more individuals becoming aware of this software and it’s significance in the world of assistive technology.
This sounds so cool! My favorite part about it is that it is free. A couple of people have brought up the fact that we talk about all of these different types of technology available to our clients, but we rarely talk about cheaper options, or what we do if money is the reason someone does not have the AT they need. This is a great step towards helping those individuals who do not have monetary resources in receiving the technology they need.
Unit 2
Hadeel Ayoub is a designer and media artist that wanted to discover a way that allowed individuals with hearing disabilities to effectively communicate with those with those who could hear. Ayoub says her motto is “to design with a cause,” and this idea stemmed from witnessing her niece with autism who signs to communicate. After working on it for a year, she developed this glove that converts sign language into text and speech. While wearing the glove, a person can sign as they normally do, where either text or speech will come up through another’s smart phone or tablet. Additionally, Ayoub wants the glove to be multilingual. The glove reads the sign language using five flex sensors on the fingers that detects the user’s signing, and also keeps track of their signing techniques. The device is still in a prototype-stage, as this is a very recent story; however, Ayoub wants her glove to be provided to individuals with hearing disabilities for free. Something like this would be extremely beneficial, and bridge a gap between communication. (from Zite)
This is an amazing find, David! A group of us were just talking the other day about how we might want to take a signing class in order to understand our future clients that sign. While we are willing to take that step to help close the gap of communication, many people are not. This glove would help the individual to communicate with their peers, friends, and family more efficiently. If they could receive it for free, that would be even better!
This bracelet actually houses a flash drive that contains all of your past medical history. I may be completely behind on this trend, but I thought that this was an interesting improvement. You can download all of the important information regarding your health onto this drive and it will be with you wherever you go. This is simply an option for interested individuals as of now, but it will be interesting to see whether or not this idea picks up, since we are in such a technology-driven world.
We have mentioned in class that tactile input from the device that our clients use is important when they are utilizing the keyboard on that device. We also discussed how some users may need to look at the keyboard as they are typing, while also looking at the screen to check what they are typing. That is where this keyboard comes in. It snaps directly onto the iPad screen and lays directly over the keys. There are bumps on each of the ‘keys’, which help to give the user that tactile input they need without having to look down at a keyboard and immediately back up at the screen. This product is $40, which seems pretty reasonable compared to other keyboards for the iPad. It also does not require any technology, which makes it easy to carry around with you and not having to worry about loading charge and being without it.
This vertical mouse not only helps to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, but may also be useful for those with physical impairments. There are a few different features to this mouse, including the thumb rest, adjustable optical sensor, pointer speed indicator, thumb buttons, and pinky rest. Limited range of motion users would definitely benefit from this type of mouse, but those with tremors may also find this setup easier to utilize if it is paired with arm supports. While this specific brand is a little pricy, ringing in at $90, there are similar products between $15-$25 that may be more affordable.
Let us take a look at some of these unusual but cool Computer Keyboards that make the use of Keyboards easier and much more sophisticated.
This link shows different types of keyboards for a range of users. While those with disabilities may not have been the original target for this information, they could certainly benefit from them. A few of these keyboards have key layouts that are totally customizable. This is something we talked about in class, being able to give our clients a keyboard that is uniquely theirs. There are also keyboards on this site that have dedicated command keys, such as one that is programmed to open Gmail, or another to open the internet browser. These are important features for users that may suffer from fatigue, or those who have limited ROM or fatigue by helping to cut down on time spent on multiple functions or bypassing keys that they don't use in order to reach the ones they do. This is a good guide for beginning to find recommendations for our clients and determining which features are going to be most helpful to them.
This is a program based out of the University of Washington in Washington State. They have several programs for people with disabilities, some of which include technology and accessibility issues that tend to come up in everyday life, whether as a student or an employee. This is the link to the homepage, which houses all of the different resources they have for people as well as personal stories from those who have used their services. While they are based out of Seattle, they have resources that are available globally for those who are interested. It also houses resources for educators and employers to make their environments more accessible to all types of users. This particular site has a lot of research backing it, and they also publish a journal. As OT students, this is something to look into in order to get a better sense of the outside world and how it affects our future clients. As future OTs, it is important to keep this in mind when referring different resources to our clients. DO-IT would be a great way to get the ball rolling when working with a client who has issues with technology access and showing them the different options that are available for them. It is also more helpful to have actual people to refer them to rather than just handing out a website of a device or software.
This may seem like a simple idea, but many people may not realize the power that they have in a device that they already own. This is a free way for us to show our clients how they can use a device they already own to make their daily lives easier. While this link is specific to Apple, similar features exist on Android smartphones. This is helpful not only to our clients, but to us as practitioners as well. Knowing that these features exist as well as knowing how to implement them could be a big time and money saver for our clients.
If you are a wounded service member with questions about assistive technology, or you care for such a person, it is important to...
This resource gives you a background on veterans and their assistive technology devices. It talks about service delivery, which we have talked about in class, as well as matching the soldier up to the correct piece of equipment. It also walks you through the process and details of matching a veteran up with technology that is going to fit them best. It tells you what questions to ask and offers other resources to continue your research. We need to treat each client seeking technology as a unique individual. Their criteria for a device is going to be different than any other client we have. This document is a good reminder of that and gives you a basic guide for beginning that process with your client.
Quality Content. ATIA webinars offer access to the leaders in AT. All presenters have extensive experience working with people with disabilities, assessing and implementing assistive technology, and they stay on top of current research and trends. ATIA provides training that addresses all types of disabilities, all ages, and all AT professionals.
This is the Assistive Technology Industry Association’s (ATIA) website. This webpage defines assistive technology in a similar way as the first chapter we read. It uses the term function and gives examples of ways assistive technology can increase ones function. Many individuals don’t understand the spectrum of assistive technology and what all it covers. On this webpage, there is information about the association, conference, webinars, and so much more that can expand our knowledge of assistive technology. This is a great resource to get a better understanding of how helpful assistive technology can be to everyone.
This is a great resource for us to have so that we may pass it on to our future clients. When I first started hearing the phrase ‘assistive technology,’ I immediately thought of high powered wheelchairs and expensive devices. The more research I’ve done, and the more we’ve talked about it over the last few years, I am learning that expense and complexity do not completely define the spectrum of AT. Our clients may have similar ways of thinking if they have not had much exposure to AT, or even OT. With a resource like this, we can let them look at things on their own after our sessions, and realize all of the possibilities that AT has to offer. Great find Amanda!
