Technology for most people is ‘generic technology’. People all use some kind of technology or tools. Telephones, door locks, lamps, and computers all are generic technology.
‘Assistive technology’ (AT) are tools used by people with disabilities. AT is often created to solve a problem caused by a disability. Eyeglasses, wheelchairs, listening systems, and grabbers are all kinds of AT.
Many examples of generic technology are also AT. One example is a hiking stick. Created for everyone, a hiking stick can also be AT for a person who needs it. Inventors created voice-activated devices for everyone’s convenience. However, some people need to use voice activation because of a disability.
There are many kinds of AT. Here are just a few examples:
- Moving – wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, prosthetic devices
- Seeing – glasses, magnifiers, text-to-speech
- Hearing – hearing aids, amplifiers, captioning
- Thinking – medication reminders, lists
- Eating – special utensils and dishes,
- Talking – microphones, computers, pictures
There are different ways to help someone communicate with AT. One of the ways is to use a computer substitute for talking. Another way is to point to pictures. Both of these examples are AT, and they are also AAC. AAC stands for Augmentative or Alternative Communication.
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