Assistive Technology for the Motor Impaired

1. Assistive Technologyfor theMotor Impaired Prepared by Wanda L. Wong, December 8, 2005 LIS 670 - Introduction to Information Science & Technology, taught by Professor donna Bair-Mundy, University of Hawai`i LIS program

2. Assistive Technology Any device, tool, or system which increases, maintains, or improves the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities

3. Individuals with disabilities… “are any persons who have a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working” Public Law 101-336 (ADA Statute): Sec. 3. Definitions

4. Assistive technology enables disabled individuals to • have greater control over their lives • participate in and contribute more fully to activities in home, school, work & community • benefit from opportunities that are taken for granted by individuals who do not have disabilities Assistive Technology Act of 1998, Findings. Sect. 2

5. Laws that enable equal opportunities for the disabled

6. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 • Section 504 – equal access to federally funded programs by the disabled • Section 508 - access to electronic and information technology (amended 1998) • Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, or the “Access Board”, sets Accessibility standards

7. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 • Title II - requires public facilities and public services to be accessible whether or not the facility receives federal funding • Physical access - ramps, entryways, hallways, bathrooms, etc. • Intellectual access to information & services

8. Telecommunications Act of 1996 • Section 255 – telecommunications products and services accessible to all members of the public • Requires manufacturers to make products ACCESSIBLE – or - design them to be compatible with ADAPTIVE equipment • The Feds can purchase only such equipment • 11,000 vendors that do business with the government Telecommunications Act, 1996. Sect. 255

9. 54 million people in the U.S. have at least one form of disability • Vision impaired / blind (10.4 million) • Hearing impaired / deaf (11.1 million) • MOTOR IMPAIRED (32 million) 1.8 million wheelchair users 2.5 million veterans have service-related disabilities (2003) U.S. population approx. 297,827,249 (5 Dec 2005)

10. Causes • Arthritis • Cerebral palsy • Spinal cord injuries • Accidents or illnesses - head injury, stroke, amputations • Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy

11. Affects Mobility and Dexterity • Poor muscle control • Difficulty walking, sensing, grasping, reaching, making fine motor movements with fingers • Difficulty doing complex or compound manipulations (such as pushing while turning a doorknob or pressing several buttons simultaneously) • difficulty operating controls that require pinching or rotating • Inability to exert much force on controls

12. Design of accessible productsfall into 4 major functions • INPUT/CONTROLS – ALL MEANS OF COMMUNICATING TO THE PRODUCT • Output/Displays - all means of presenting information to a user (i.e. audio output, screen displays, etc.) • Documentation – labels, instructions, etc. • Safety – alarms and protection from harm TRACE, 2005

13. Adaptive Keyboards • Adaptive keyboards or keyboard overlays help users with motor disabilities to make selections more easily • Larger or smaller than standard keys or keyboards • Alternative key configurations • Use with one hand USB MiniTM is a small size alternative keyboard that plugs directly into a computer $775.00 IntellikeysTM keyboard with removable overlays $395.00

14. On-Screen Keyboard • Symbol grids (i.e.The Grid™) use text and symbol communication • Pre-stored intelligent vocabularies for predictive typing • On-screen keyboards or printed overlays onto screen • Control by touch-screen, mouse, head pointer, keyboard, joystick or • switches • Multi-lingual capabilities The Grid™ Zygo USA Click_N_Type Virtual Keyboard ®: Free download http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/

15. Alternative Mouse Systems • Total hands-free mouse alternative for • people with muscular dystrophy, spinal • cord injuries such as quadriplegia, etc. • Controls computer using motion by a • chosen part of the body • Virtual keyboard & reflective dots • Click switch, foot switch, Dwell ClickTM • software (hover the cursor in one • spot to select) • http://www.naturalpoint.com/smartnav/products/ SmartNav3TM $399.00

16. Mouse alternatives where users have little or no control of their hands Click using slight variations of air pressure in the mouth and in the mouth piece (sipping or puffing) USB Integra Mouse Tash Systems $2200.00 CameraMouse™ Tash Inc. $700.00 Camera mouse: tracks body movements, (head, nose, chin, finger or toe, for example). The web camera converts those movements into mouse pointer movements

17. Switches • Switches make it possible to access a computer keyboard using the mouth, head, or foot • A single button, a few buttons, a sensory plate, or a whole host of adaptive switches available • Touch free, relying instead on motion sensors, brain activation, or a sip and puff mechanism Intellitools ™ $54.00 - $129.00 cordless

18. Voice Recognition • Voice Recognition allows a user to use his/her voice as an input device • Dictate text into the computer • Give commands to the computer • Discreet speech or continuous speech Dragon Naturally Speaking ™ Cost $200.00 Nuance, Burlington, MA

19. Access Utilities • Built-in software programs that modify the standard keyboard • Replace the mouse, substitute visual cues for sound signals, add sound cues to keystrokes, etc • Use by multiple people - easily activated and deactivated • Accessibility options are customizable

20. Example: Microsoft–AccessDOS • StickyKeys - For people who need to plug into the serial port. Headstick or mouthstick (AACs). Press one key and the application responds as if several keys had been pressed simultaneously. Also, can access by infra-red link. • MouseKeys - Control the mouse from the keyboard • SerialKeys - Control the keyboard and mouse in conjunction with a communications aid interface device • Onscreen Keyboard, FilterKeys, ToggleKeys, SoundSentry, Showsounds, and Magnifier AccessDos was Developed by the Trace R&D Center, U of Wisconsin-Madison with support from IBM & the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

21. Motor Impairment is… The only category of disability that can happen to anyone at any time in their lives. We can become disabled by accident or illness.

22. Crossing Over • Technologies cross lines • In 1933, Talking Books were developed to assist the blind in accessing books. Today, audio books are enjoyed by everyone, blind or not • Voice Recognition, an assistive technology, can also search, locate and index sounds and phrases in audio and video files

23. Assistive Technology • is user-centered • and human-centered • It has the potential to “transform the future of every individual, whether or not they have a physical or learning disability.” Ron Mace, founder the Center for Universal Design, 1998

24. Information-rich WebsitesAdaptive Technology Resource Center (ATRC), U. of Toronto, Canada. Library, Technical Glossary of Products.Available at http://www.utoronto.ca/atrcAssociation of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA). Important Issues.Available at http://www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaissues/issues.htmTrace Research & Technology Center (TRACE), College of Engineering, U of Wisconsin, Madison. Designing a More Usable World. Available at http://trace.wisc.edu/