Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek
Advocate for Elders, People
with Disabilities
and Their Families

 

Disabilities - Assistive Technology

To assist people who are elderly or disabled

Articles/Publications, Products, Organizations, Resources

Disabilities Links: ADA/OlmsteadArticlesAssistive TechnologyAutismAutism NewsAwardsBlindnessBrain InjuryCerebral PalsyDeafnessDisability Rights MovementDown SyndromeEducation IssuesEmploymentEpilepsyFInancial Issues Health CareHousingLearning (Special Education)LegalMisc. • OrganizationsPeople First LanguageResources: (Websites/Blogs)Self-DeterminationTravel
Legal Links
(Related to my
practice areas)




Assistive technology is technology used by people who are elderly and individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.
Articles & Publications

14 Tech Tools that Enhance Computing for the Disabled - ComputerWorld
Getting work done on a computer is easily within reach of the blind and physically disabled with the help of these new and updated tools.

Assistive Technology Rocks! (Cecilia Garcia blog)
An article asking the question "Why is inclusion important both to the student with special needs and the culture of the class?

Amazon Kindle 2 and Childhood Disability (Bella Online)
The updated version of the Kindle wireless reader is as pricey as the original, but new features make it even more attractive and practical for families and individuals with developmental disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other special needs.

Changing Lives with Innovation, Collaboration & Leadership (Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities - MSU)
MSU’s Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) has partnered for decades within and outside MSU to innovate technology for persons with disabilities, disseminating inventive work around the world.

Considering Assistive Technology in the IEP Process (The Texas 4-Step Model)
Provided to assist educational teams in considering assistive technology in the development, review, and/or revision of a
student’s Individual Educational Plan.

Disability Retrofit (OregonLive.com - 1/14/10)
Remodeling a home can be daunting even under ideal circumstances. But combined with the stress of a sudden injury, the need to care for an aging family member or sensory loss due to a disease, the prospect of a big retrofitting project can be overwhelming.

High-Tech Devices Keep Elderly Safe From Afar (NY Times - 5-25-08)
First thing every morning, Lynn Pitet, of Cody, Wyo., checks her computer to see whether her mother, Helen Trost, has gotten out of bed, taken her medication and whether she is moving around inside her house hundreds of miles away in Minnesota.

How to be a Leader with Assistive Technology (eSchoolNews - 10/30/09)
During an Oct. 21 webinar hosted by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), titled "The Building Blocks of a Successful Assistive Technology Team," Sally Norton-Darr and Chris Bugaj, both AT trainers for Virginia's Loudoun County Public Schools, offered their expert advice on how to evaluate assistive technology products for use in schools.

iPortal Set to Change the Lives of Wheelchair Users With iPhone and iPod Touch (Voxy - 8/25/10)
Dynamic Controls today announced its innovative iPortal is now available worldwide. The iPortal solution connects powered wheelchairs to the internet using an iPhone or iPod in a special mount and also includes a 'chair doctor' diagnostics feature that interprets any problems with the wheelchair and an on-chair charger so devices never run flat. "We predict iPortal will change the quality of life of thousands of people by connecting their powered wheelchair to the internet via iPhone or iPod touch," said Charlotte Walshe, CEO of Dynamic Controls. "iPortal is a revolutionary approach to wheelchair displays and provides key information such as battery capacity and seat adjustments.

Nintendo Wii Therapy Rehab for Children and Teens ( Bella Online)
Children and teens who have physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities find the same benefit in playing games with the Nintendo Wii game system as their mainstream peers.

PARO Robot: Ethical or Not (Telecareaware - 7-22-10)
Is this $6000 Class II medical device a comforting, interactive emotional support for older people, particularly those with dementia--or an inhumane diversion that relegates humans to mundane tasks and away from emotional connection with residents?

Physical Therapists Prescribe Wii Time (Reuters - Dec. 6, 2007)
An occupational therapist is convinced that the Nintendo game could help patients build balance, coordination, endurance and upper and lower body strength.

Sensors Help Keep the Elderly Safe, and at Home (New York Times - 2/12/09)
Bertha Branch, 78, discovered the power of a system called eNeighbor when she fell to the floor of her Philadelphia apartment late one night without her emergency alert pendant and could not phone for help.

Technology Can Help Seniors Stay in Homes (Aging and Disability in America - 8/26/10)
NPR continued its series on seniors aging at home. Part two examined a company called Adaptive Home, "one of a growing number of startups that use monitoring technology to revolutionize elder care. These companies are also betting on a big market as the baby boomers enter old age. Chris Bridgers says a basic package includes about a dozen motion sensors placed strategically around a house. They can provide adult children with a stunningly detailed rundown of a parent's day."

Technology that Helps Seniors Stay at Home (Business Week)
As Baby Boomers retire, companies as varied as GE, Philips, and Nintendo are working on technology that helps seniors stay at home and remain independent.

Technologies to Help Older Adults Maintain Independence (Aging and Disability in America - 10/29/09)
This paper is intended to inform potential grant applicants and other key stakeholders, including older adults, health and social service practitioners, technology vendors, payers, policy makers/regulators, and The SCAN Foundation about technologies that are ready to be quickly taken to scale.

The Aurora Project - Robots Helping Autistic Children (MangoMon - 8/2/10)
The Aurora Project was created as a long term project in the United Kingdom in 1998. It is a project supported by the University of Hertfordshire School of Computer Science with local schools. The program pairs autistic children with robots, a high-interest ‘toy’, to help them build educational and social skills.

The iPrompts Application and Childhood Disability (Bella Online)
There has been quite a bit of discussion recently about cell phone software applications created for children or teens with developmental disabilities, communication challenges and chronic health conditions.

The Medicine Cabinet of the Future (Popsi.com)
Your future medicine cabinet will integrate home, pharmacy and doctor's office into a digital health network.

What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive Technology is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

Products

Assistive Technology for the Struggler Notetaker
The livescribe pen is similar to a digital recorder - it’s an Assistive Technology device.

Beach'N Wheelchairs
Until now the handicapped, and those that have trouble walking, have not been able to get out on the sand. Beach’N Wheelchairs will give these people the necessary tools to be with their family, enjoying a fun filled day on our beaches. Designed by a Marine Corps veteran who was inspired and motivated by his Marine buddies, some of whom suffered injuries that made mobility difficult.

Full Measure
Automatic speech for PowerPoint presentations - a free program that automatically speaks any presentation or slide show running in Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows.

Gecko Systems
Mobile robot solutions for safety, security and service.

HAL Robot Suit
Is expected to be applied in various fields such as rehabilitation support and physical training support in medical field, ADL support for disabled people, heavy labour support at factories, and rescue support at disaster sites, as well as in the entertainment field.

In Touch Link
Founded in response to a growing need for a system that helped seniors and other users have easy access to the world of email, internet and computers. InTouchLink built a team composed of industry veterans and technology gurus. The result is a powerful, but incredibly easy-to-use system that is equally helpful to retirement homes, independent seniors and others who may have not used a computer before.

Individualized Education Program (IEP) Checklist iPhone application
The IEP is an individualized program designed to support the educational needs of school aged students with disabilities. This new IEP app helps parents of students with special needs become better-informed advocates by making IEP information easier to access. The IEP app is offered free of charge in both English and Spanish. To download the IEP Checklist app, visit the Apple iTunes store, and type IEP Checklist in the search box. YouTube demonstration.

Integrated Listening Systems (iLs)
There are no “silver bullets” providing a solution for everyone faced with the challenges of learning, attention, and/or processing difficulties. There are many pieces to each of these puzzles, and iLs addresses a number of them through a multi-sensory approach.

Japanese Gadget Controls iPod in Blink of an Eye (GoogleNews - 3/7/09)
A wink, a smile or a raised eyebrow could soon change the music on your iPod or start up the washing machine, thanks to a new Japanese gadget.

Nutritional Diet Calculating Scale (Topline)
Simply push one of the seven buttons to accurately determine your food’s content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, cholesterols, fibers, sodium, or calories.

Online Medicine Cabinet (Accenture)
What if your medicine cabinet could remind you to take your allergy medication when the local pollen count spiked into the red zone? Such futuristic devices may be in your home sooner than you think.

ReadPlease
Reads any text you see on your screen - all purpose text-to-speech software.

WordTalk
A free text-to-speech plugin for Microsoft Word. It will speak the text of the document and will highlight it as it goes. It contains a talking dictionary and a text-to-mp3 converter.

Organizations and Services

Center for Aging Services Technologies (CAST)
Leading the charge to expedite the development, evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that can improve the aging experience. Imagine - The Future of Aging - A video to give you a glimpse, through the eyes of one family, of what thefuture of aging could like like with help from developing technologies that are possible, practical and affordable.

Family Center on Technology and Disability
Provides a wide range of resources on assistive and instructional technologies. Also, check out their informative monthly newsletters.

International Society for Technology in Education
ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and higher education.

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
Purpose is to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology.

Resources: Websites and Blogs

AbledBody.com
News and insights on assistive technologies and innovations for people with disabilities. See article in Mediadis&dat - 3/27/09

Assistive Technology News
Independence through technology.

Assistive Technology Rocks! (Cecilia Garcia blog)
An article asking the question "Why is inclusion important both to the student with special needs and the culture of the class?

AT Cubed
Brian Wojcik, an assistive technology specialist, shares reflections and commentary about using assistive technology in the classroom. Many of the posts aim to start discussion about the needs and use of assistive technology, and pose thoughtful questions.

Disabled and Elderly Assistive Technologies in the U.S.
Assistive technology products are products designed to assist people who, because of specific disabilities or the general infirmities that often accompany old age, would otherwise be unable to participate meaningfully in economic, social, political, cultural, and other forms of human activity in their communities.

No Limits to Learning
This assistive technology blog guides teachers and educators through the use of technology such as the iPhone, web applications, and software.

Personal Links
(Get to know me outside the office)


Networking Sites:

Blog Blog
Facebook Facebook
Linked In Linked In
Twitter Twitter
Aging Pro Aging Pro
Law link
LawLink
Avvo Avvo

Meet the Elite

My Favorites:
  
Book Reviews
  Favorite Quotes
  Funnies
  Movie Reviews
  Music Reviews
  Websites/Blogs

Miscellaneous:

Family Matters &
Personal Insights


Site map



Search:

To find your areas of interest on either my website or blog, use search buttons below:



Website


Blog