360
Chapter 25
Assistive Technology’s
Past, Present and Future
Barbara J. Kouba
California State University, San Bernardino, USA
Brian Newberry
California State University, San Bernardino, USA
AbstrAct
Even though the term is relatively new, assistive technologies of various types have helped people overcome, achieve, and perform for many years and come in many forms. In fact, many familiar technologies,
some that might even be considered mainstream, were in fact initially conceived as assistive devices.
Recently, assistive technology has become the subject of legislation including the Rehabilitation Act
and the Americans with Disabilities Act and much more legislation regarding access to and funding for
assistive technology is expected. Currently, much attention in the area of assistive technology focuses
on the computer, and communications technology, including portable devices, which help individuals
use powerful tools for accessing information and communicating with others. The future of assistive
technology certainly will continue these areas of development but will also likely begin to adopt newer
methods for interfacing various assistive technologies directly with the human sensory system. As has
happened in the past, it is expected that many technologies initially created as assistive will be adopted
by non-disabled individuals.
IntroductIon
In 1967, the Fab Four harmonized their lyrical insights: “I get by with a little help from my friends,”
and, “I’m gonna try with a little help from my
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-817-3.ch025
friends” (Lennon & McCartney). Increasingly, the
Beatle’s perceptive words are true for everyone, and
they have an even greater importance for people
living with special needs. In order to communicate,
function, and participate in this society, people with
disabilities need extra help and rely on some form
of assistive technology (AT).
Copyright © 2010, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited.
Assistive Technology’s Past, Present and Future
bAckground
Anyone can become a person with disabilities.
Former President Ronald Reagan, credited with
tearing down the Berlin Wall, and Hollywood
superhero, Christopher Reeve, both became individuals with disabilities. It is not an exclusive
club. Young and old, rich and poor, famous and
obscure, powerful and weak, males and females
can all belong. No exceptions are made for race,
creed, nationality, sexual preference, or socioeconomic status.
Helen Keller, one of the most admired persons
in 20th century America, was both deaf and blind.
In her 1957 book, Ms. Keller said, “All about
me may be silence and darkness, yet within me,
in the spirit, is music and brightness, and color
flashes through all my thoughts” (Keller, 1957).
Educator Annie Sullivan helped to break through
the silence and darkness to release this inner light.
As Helen Keller learned to communicate, her
genius emerged.
Throughout history, people with disabilities
were often relegated to lead frustrated, isolated,
and dehumanized existences. Some even trace the
origins of the word “handicap” to describe people
with disabilities as beggars who went “cap in hand”
(Barnes, 1992). Twenty-first century technology
can complement basic education by delivering a
voice to the voiceless, sound to the deaf, sight to
the sightless, movement to the incapacitated, and
independence to the dependant.
Marcia J. Scherer, Ph.D. referred to these
people as “lives nearly lost forever” and spoke of
the assistive technology revolution by comparing
the past and present opportunities for users:
The choices available today for communication—
from gestures to wordboards to computerized
devices that speak for the person—are nothing
short of a major revolution. Today, the mind of a
child born with cerebral palsy who cannot speak
is not apt to be a mind “nearly lost forever.” That
child will go to school and will be a visible member
of the adult community (2005, p. 34).
Without the ability to communicate, whether
naturally or through artificial devices, learning,
self-improvement, and social inclusion are impossible.
Stephen Hawking, Ph.D. is one of the most
recognized users of AT. Without the use of AT,
Professor Hawking would have been unable to
share his scientific genius with the rest of the
world. This brilliant mathematician and theoretical physicist discovered that when one fused the
ideas of quantum mechanics with those of general
relativity, it was no longer true that black holes
were completely black. Throughout most of his
adult life, Dr. Hawking has had Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a motor neuron disease.
Through the use of augmentive communication
devices, the professor continues sharing his teachings, lectures, and written works.
In the 1970s, Dr. Hawking’s speech became
so slurred that very few people could understand
him. By 1985, after undergoing a tracheotomy to
help him breathe easier, he lost all remaining abilities to speak. For several years, the only way he
could communicate was to spell out words letter
by letter, by raising his eyebrows when someone
pointed to the correct corresponding letter on a
spelling card. It was laborious for this genius to
carry on a simple conversation, let alone write a
scientific paper.
David Mason, of Cambridge Adaptive Communication, fitted a small portable computer and a
speech synthesizer to his wheelchair. This system
allowed the professor to communicate much better.
He was able to manage up to 15 words a minute
which he could either speak or save to disk. Once
in a digitized format, his thoughts could be printed
out or disseminated using a variety of methods,
including email. Using this system, he began to
write books and scientific papers and has also
given many scientific and popular talks.
361
12 more pages are available in the full version of this document, which may
be purchased using the "Add to Cart" button on the publisher's webpage:
www.igi-global.com/chapter/assistive-technology-past-present-future/42849
Related Content
RETRA: Web Based Resource Allocation Tool for Emergency Management
Venkata S. Inampudi, Russell Kondaveti and Aura Ganz (2013). International Journal of E-Health and
Medical Communications (pp. 80-93).
www.irma-international.org/article/retra/94635/
The Applicability of Currently Available Adults ADHD Treatment Tools
Bader Binhadyan and Nilmini Wickramasinghe (2017). Handbook of Research on Healthcare
Administration and Management (pp. 528-540).
www.irma-international.org/chapter/the-applicability-of-currently-available-adults-adhd-treatmenttools/163851/
Telehealth Implementation: The Voice of Experience
Mary DeVany, Karla Knobloch-Ludwig, Marilyn Penticoff, Aris Assimacopoulos and Stuart Speedie (2013).
Teaching Cases Collection (pp. 126-139).
www.irma-international.org/chapter/telehealth-implementation-voice-experience/73946/
Detection of Faulty Measurements in WBANs using Gaussian Mixture Model and Ant Colony
Osman Salem, Yaning Liu and Ahmed Mehaoua (2014). International Journal of E-Health and Medical
Communications (pp. 20-38).
www.irma-international.org/article/detection-of-faulty-measurements-in-wbans-using-gaussianmixture-model-and-ant-colony/124285/
Using Biometrics Devices for Improving Automation in Hospital Management System: A Case
Study in Semi-Urban India
Sanjay Mohapatra (2011). International Journal of Healthcare Delivery Reform Initiatives (pp. 40-48).
www.irma-international.org/article/using-biometrics-devices-improving-automation/67995/