Tuesday 12 April 2011

Tutorial eight - Assistive Technology

Assistive or Adaptive Technology commonly refers to products, devices or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that are used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (Assistive Technology Act, 1998).
My definition of asssistive technology is simply; technology that assists and enables someone to partake in an activity.

The piece of assistive technology I will be focusing on in this tutorial is Talking Tins.
Talking Tins are small in size ( made to fit on tin/ can lids), talking tins are not a costy device rnaging in expensise form $25 - $30. Talking tins can be used to put on tin lids, where the device can verbally say what the tin contains i.e. 'baked beans'. This function of the talking tin could be very beneficial for someone with poor vision. Another function of talking tins is sequencing. Talking tins can be used for sequencing and planning to order a task i.e. 'get out baked beans'.. 'now get out bowl' etc. This function could be very beneficial for someone who has cognitive issues such as poor memory.
Below is an image of what the talking tins look like and their function
.

                                          http://www.ranavirufund.org/gallery/


Please note: For component two - Technology Application Report, I will not be focusing on Talking tins as my assitive technology, however, I will be focusing on Wii.


References:
Assistive Technology Act. (1998). What's assistive technology? . Retrieved from www.rehabtool.com on the 13/04/2011.          

Ranaviru Fund. (n.d.) Image. Retrieved from http://www.ranavirufund.org/gallery/ on the 13/04/2011.

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