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[girlkeven-blog]

Can Robots provide Social Care?

Blog post at Living with Disability : Every January the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a chance for the latest innovations in technology and gadgetry[..]

Unit 4

Wow! I had no idea that so many robots have been created that could also be used as assistive technology devices in-home. This blog post from the website “Living with Disability” gives an overview of 8-10 robots that were seen and reviewed at the annual International Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas, with the question in mind: Can robots provide social care?

This overview provided me with a variety of questions regarding the possibility of service delivery and the introduction of robots into that. Not necessarily that robots would take over service delivery, but that they could be a high-tech form of assistance for clients who are interested. I think the most interesting robot on the blog post for me was the JustoCat, a robot cat which is currently being used and researched in Sweden as a form of treatment for individuals with dementia.

Several of the robot descriptions were accompanied by videos, which showed their features. Very interesting blog post!

[shanfoley]

I found this to be an interesting article. Technology has come a long way and it describes several different robots that can impact daily life for people with a wide range of capabilities. Also, the website is really cool because it provides disability gadget reviews and provides information of new gadgets and assistive devices that can help make life easier for people with disabilities. 

[shanfoley]

This a great little article and website. The article talks about Do's and Don't's of augmentative alternative communications devices. While each person is unique and has specific needs, it gives general advice on what are good rules to follow. Though it's not an assessment for AT, it is a helpful tool to use when creating unique devices for individual clients.

[shanfoley]

This article describes the work capability assessment (WCA) and how making it more stringent to qualify for disability benefits have affected people’s mental health. Since the assessments eligibility as been more difficult to obtain, the area has seen a ride in suicide, mental health related issues, and antidepressant prescriptions. The article shows how an assessment is worded and the qualifications it requires to allow servies to people can have a strong affect on individuals. 

[marissabonney]

Ryan Weimer is the father of 3 children who were diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. His goal was to make his children feel like superstars instead of being looked at with sympathy. Ryan created a nonprofit organization, Magic Wheelchair, that would provide children in wheelchairs with amazing, unique Halloween costumes. This story shows how creativity and devotion can have a tremendous impact on the quality of life for someone with a disability. Although this organization goes to a lot of trouble to create these costumes, occupational therapists and other members of society should realize that all acts of kindness can go a long way. Taking steps to include individuals with disabilities will create an overall positive atmosphere in a world that views disability as a limitation. 

[shanfoley]

This is a really cool video that Marissa posted. It’s about a dad who created a company that designs Halloween costumes for kids in wheelchairs. It’s sounds like an awesome organization that allows kids to participate in special holidays like Halloween no matter their disability. It really promotes involvement and focuses on that whole child and what is important to them which is very OT. 

[shanfoley]

Dot, a smartwatch for visually impaired people

It's called Dot and it promises to be the new revolution in the field of wearable technology. Why? Because Dot has been designed specifically for use by visually impaired people. In the world we have…

Dot is a new product on the market for people with visual impairments to become closer with the technology world. It’s a lot smaller and more practical than the larger bulky braille machines. The device is much more sleek than most assistive technology. It allows people to access messages, notifications, and read e-books. It cost around $300 which is a lot cheaper than most braille devices on the market.

[shanfoley]

Remaking my voice

When film critic Roger Ebert lost his lower jaw to cancer, he lost the ability to eat and speak. But he did not lose his voice. In a moving talk from TED2011, Ebert and his wife, Chaz, with friends Dean Ornish and John Hunter, come together to tell his remarkable story.

This is a video about Roger Ebert who lost his lower jaw to cancer along with the ability to eat and speak. The video is of him, his wife, and two friends. They discuss how he has got his voice back, how people perceive him, and the ups and downs of his story. He really has an unbelievable story and journey and goes to show you how much technology has helped him keep his independence and voice.

[shanfoley]

Gadgets to ease communication for the hearing impaired

Hearing impaired people may not necessarily face more severe problems than visually impaired individuals, but their situation is as bad as any. Imagine living in a world where you aren't able to he...

This article discusses 4 different gadgets that are meant to help those who are hearing impaired. The first, Communicaid, consists of three different gadgets that help a person recognize sounds by blinking lights, pictures, and spoken words converted on a screen. The second, Soft Touch, looks like an alarm clock. It works by using a screen and an band that squeezes to notify a person of certain sensor sounds. The third, Ictus, is a vibrating cushion. The vibrating speakers allow the person to experience sound through vibrations. The final gadget is called Beyond Silence Digital Piano. It uses vibrations felt through playing the piano to help the hearing impaired enjoy music. 

While these are all interesting gadgets, I wish the article would go further into depth of what they do specifically and who is using them, how popular they are, the pros & cons, etc. I feel like more information on each gadget would be beneficial for a potential user.

[davidthesloth-blog]

This Smart Glove Translates Sign Language to Text and Speech

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)

[shanfoley]

This is probably one of the most useful articles I’ve read to help the deaf community. It allows them the create text or speech by using their form of communication, sign language, through a glove. I like the motto they use- “to design for a cause.” I think it’s great because it’s breaking all kinds of language barriers and is even advancing to using e-mail and sending texts. It’s really taking communication for people with disabilities to the next level. 

[dawod123]

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.

[cbaumbach1]

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.

[shanfoley]

I think Telehealth is an awesome option for Occupational Therapists, especially for those who live in a rural areas and aren’t able to meet in a clinic everyday or even every week. This gives the opportunity to still communicate. It also allows the therapist and client to see each other, so the therapist can demonstrate interventions and also observe and evaluate how the client is performing tasks. 

[alappe1]

This braille label kit is an inexpensive type of alternative to computer output hardware. These labels are a way an individual with vision impairments can adapt a standard keyboard. This kit includes both big print and braille label stickers. The stickers are larger, bolder, and give a tactile feedback of the letter that a standard keyboard doesn’t offer. The braille stickers are easy to place onto a standard keyboard and they don’t damage the original keyboard while removing. These labels enable individuals who have low vision, macular degeneration, or blindness to use a standard keyboard. They can place their hands on the standard keyboard as we do using the labels to feel the letters. These labels are a very affordable price and are easy to apply and remove on a standard keyboard.

[shanfoley]

I really like this braille keyboard idea for a few reasons. First it’s inexpensive. This is important because a family with child or other family member with disabilities are most likely already dealing with all kinds of medical expenses already, so finding them a piece of adaptive equipment that can help their child immensely for a low cost is very important. Next, this product allows a client with low vision to use a standard keyboard without having to get another one. Finally, since they are stickers, the client is able to set up the controls in a way that is most beneficial to him or her. 

[shanfoley]

Hack a banana, make a keyboard!

Why can't two slices of pizza be used as a slide clicker? Why shouldn't you make music with ketchup? In this charming talk, inventor Jay Silver talks about the urge to play with the world around you. He shares some of his messiest inventions, and demos MaKey MaKey, a kit for hacking everyday objects.

Jay Silver is a creative genius in this video. He explains how everyday objects can be used for a variety of uses by using his product the Makey Makey. For example, he uses pencils and piano circuits to make different noises. From here he uses all different household items such as leather, paint brushes, the sink, a hula hoop to continue making music. He spread his idea through workshops and watched what people could do with it. People came back with all sorts of ideas including a mushroom organ, a piano out of stair steps, and a man creating music for the Star Spangled Banner by eating lunch (minute 10). He then started connecting them with computers and was able to create switches or conductors through foods such as pizza or bananas to control certain aspects of the computer. He used play-doh to create a game controller and was even able to use plants to play the drums. On minute 11, a father came up with a glove to help his son who has CP to navigate the web and make a computer more accessible for him.

While the main point of this product was not originally created to help people with disabilities, I think the possibilities are endless. As the glove example shows, all different kinds of objects can be used. This is great for OT because we like to focus on the client in a holistic view considering all aspects of the person. With that in mind, each individual is different. This product can be used or adapted to whatever product would work best with a specific client to better help them do what they want to do. 

[shanfoley]

A word game to communicate in any language

While working with kids who have trouble speaking, Ajit Narayanan sketched out a way to think about language in pictures, to relate words and concepts in "maps." The idea now powers an app that helps nonverbal people communicate, and the big idea behind it, a language concept called FreeSpeech, has exciting potential.

Ajit Narayanan gives a 16 minute Ted talk on his app, AVAS, and how it can empower children with disabilities to communicate.The app allows a person with a speech impairment to communicate, create phrases, learn another language such as English, and develop sentence structure. He discusses different theories as well as talks about the importance of language and how it can impact and empower people. He uses a great quote to describe the importance of communication that says, “If all my possessions were taken away from me, with one exception, I would choose to keep the power of communication- for with it, I would regain all the rest.” -Daniel Webster. I like this quote because it shows the power that good communication has and how vital it is to everyday living. I like this video a lot and think Mr. Narayanan does well describing how he progressed with his app throughout years of learning and studying. I mostly like it because it shows that the opportunity for those with disabilities to be able to communicate is extremely important for quality of life.   

[shanfoley]

Excel 2016 for Mac keyboard shortcuts are listed here. If you use Excel on a Windows computer, many of the shortcuts that use the CTRL key also work in Excel 2016 for Mac. However, not all do. When in doubt, consult this list.

This is a helpful chart explaining quick keyboard shortcuts a person could use when navigating through their computer. While it would take a while to become used to and memorize the numerous shortcut, it could prove a beneficial alternative for someone with limited ROM and unable to use a computer mouse or joystick. It’s set up in a clear chart, making it easy to read and understand. They also set it up in different categories such as, scrolling, function keys, and popular shortcuts making it easier to find what type of shortcut you’re trying to find. Overall, I think this website can be beneficial and make using a computer quicker and easier for almost anyone, disability or not, who uses a computer often.

[shanfoley]

Brain-to-text: decoding spoken phrases from phone representations in the brain

This is an interesting article discussing a new brain-to-text technology. It works by using ECoG electrodes placed in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain. Patients read text aloud while machines extracted the most likely used word sequences from the signals. Scientists are trying to  recognize isolated aspects of speech from neural signals, While this is a very interesting topic and could do exemplary things for the “locked in” or unable to communicate community, I thought the articles could’ve been more explanatory on what they were actually trying to do. They used the term “phones” alot which confused me because it wasn’t in the same context that we know it as by and I thought that was something that could be described or explained a little bit better. Overall, I think it’s an awesome concept that goes well with our unit of study and has a lot of potenial for advancement in the future. 

[shanfoley]

Clos-o-mat is a company that designs assistive toilets for children with disabilities and the elderly. It helps someone use the toilet with little or no assistance promoting function and independence. It is definitely a cool product to know about to and suggests to possible clients one day.

[thentis]

This is an extremely interesting article that I found on Zite, posted by Autism Speaks. This article left me wondering: “Can a service dog be considered a form of assistive technology?” Jack, a kid who has a diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder, is experiencing the benefits that a service dog can offer. Jack’s dog helps to keep him calm and manage sensory overload, reduce his stress levels, and keep him safe. All in all, Jack’s service dog goes every where with him, and serves as a functional aid that helps him participate in occupations and engage in his environment. This is something that OT’s should keep in mine when considering and recommending assistive technology. I’m not sure if a service dog could be considered assistive technology or not, but it definitely has helped Jack to live a more functional life.

[shanfoley]

I loved reading this article and think Torey’s thought about a service dog being considered assistive technology is completely interesting. I think the video that goes along with the article really shows how a dog can help someone who is having sensory overload, an anxiety attack, or even just a mental breakdown. They have the ability to offer comfort, companionship, and  provide a safety for a person with ASD. 

[amylennis1-blog]

This is a simple yet wonderful help when getting up and out of the car. It simply hooks on the frame of almost any car (90’s and newer) to assist people with lower strength get out of the car. Pushing or pulling themselves out of the car can be difficult for many people who are weaker or have a car that sits super low to the ground. Having this device to grab onto and push down on to give you some leverage will help tremendously! Something to keep in mind as we may be helping teach at transfers or mobility.

[shanfoley]

I think this is awesome and really shows what a simple piece of assisitve equipment can do to help people. It’s practical and affordable which I think will stand out to a lot of clients.