Assistive Technology最新文献

Policy development and implementation are key to improving access to Assistive Technology (AT). In this paper, we describe a strength-based framework for doing this at national level. We used an action research approach, with the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD) as the primary frame of reference. Primary data were collected using the World Health Organisation's rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA). We describe the process of applying our emergent framework and how our findings support it. We identified seven guiding principles for effective policy process: Participatory, Resource aware, Outcomes focused, Collaborative, Evidence-informed, supporting good practices, and System strengthening - which can be summarized by the acronym PROCESS. Five crucial building blocks for effective AT policy development emerged: Identification of the assistive technology ecosystem, Demography of disability and AT use, Evaluation of inclusion and participation in existing policy, Alignment with UNCRPD and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and Locality of implementation - which can be summarized with the acronym IDEAL. The IDEAL PROCESS incorporates key content building blocks and core process principles, constituting a systematic framework for guiding the development of context sensitive AT policy and a strength-based pathway to improving access AT.

Adolescents with CP classified as Gross Motor Functional Classification System Level V attend school up to 8 h daily with limited ability to self-reposition. Despite pain reported within this population, perceived pain and self-pressure relief during prolonged classroom sitting is unknown. A case series design was used with a convenience sample of six students (13-18 years) with CP. Pain assessments were taken every 30 min for 5 h. Self-relief assessments using the SensiMAT^TM were recorded while students were in their wheelchairs. One student self-reported pain and three students proxy reported pain movements. All students had unrelieved pressure or did not self-relieve pressure for at least 1.5 consecutive hours. Four students increased their self-pressure relief movements after 3.5 h. This study provided preliminary data regarding perceived pain and self-pressure relief during prolonged sitting and demonstrated that the SensiMAT^TM can capture pressure relief movements in sitting of students with severe CP. Although there was no trend of reported pain, students may either be moving enough, as demonstrated by recorded pressure relief movements, to independently relieve pressure and pain, or current pain assessments may not be sensitive enough for those with the most severe disabilities.

Camera Mouse is a freely available software program that visually tracks the movement of facial features to allow individuals with motor impairments to control a computer mouse. The goal of this case study was to provide an evaluation of Camera Mouse as a computer access method as part of a multiple modality communication system for an individual with cerebral palsy. The participant was asked to reproduce sentences and respond to ethical dilemmas for language sampling. Tasks were completed using natural speech and an AAC solution consisting of Camera Mouse paired with an orthographic selection interface and speech synthesis. The participant completed a questionnaire for satisfaction with the introduced assistive technology. Camera Mouse resulted in higher intelligibility than natural speech, while natural speech had a higher rate. She used more complex language with her natural speech. The participant rated Camera Mouse as at least 3/5 on all measures, including 5/5 on weight and safety. The results of this case study suggest Camera Mouse is a promising computer access system for communication supported by the participant's satisfaction rating, expressive language, and synthesized speech production capabilities.

The Voiceitt app is designed for people with dysarthric speech, to support vocal communication and access to voice-driven technologies. Sixty-six participants were recruited to test the Voiceitt app and share feedback with developers. Most had physical, sensory, or cognitive impairments in addition to atypical speech. The project team liaised with individuals, their families and local support teams to provide access to the app and associated equipment. Testing was user-led, with participants asked to identify and test use cases most relevant to their daily lives over three months or more. Ongoing technical support and training were provided remotely and in-person throughout their testing. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect feedback on users' experiences, with delivery adapted to individuals' needs and preferences. Informal feedback was collected through ongoing contact between participants, their families and support teams and the project team. User feedback has led to improvements to the user interface and functionality, including faster voice training, simplified navigation, the introduction of game-style features and of switch access as an alternative to touchscreen access. This work offers a case-study in meaningful engagement with diverse disabled users of assistive technology in commercial software development.

Assistive Technology for Cognition (ATC) can help people to compensate for cognitive impairments following Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Examples include mainstream devices such as smartphones, watches and environmental controls, and bespoke devices such as medication devices or specific educational software. Evidence suggests that professional support is key to people successfully adopting ATC, yet low confidence amongst clinicians and perceptions about barriers are often cited as reasons for not recommending ATC in practice. The objectives of this service evaluation were to evaluate the impact of an ATC training opportunity on the knowledge and confidence of staff and to explore staff perspectives of the barriers and enablers to implementation of ATC in practice. A survey was completed by 21 members of a Community Acquired Brain Injury Service before and after participating in an ATC training workshop. Survey findings highlighted that attitudes toward, and confidence with ATC, showed positive change after the training, whilst perceptions about barriers to implementation in practice reduced. Responses also highlighted the perceived importance of education for health professionals, service users and families as key enablers to successful implementation. Multi-professional training is therefore an important part of an implementation strategy for ATC.

Congenital limb defects occur when a limb does not develop normally during pregnancy. The quality of each person's everyday life is significantly impacted by any of these defects and there is no concrete treatment. 3D modeling and printing, enables the creation and customization of precise virtual and/or physical models, including models of the human anatomy. These technologies provide a novel method of producing new devices with optimized design and production time, improving adaptability, and incorporating functionality. To this end, we propose a method of designing and producing 3D printed assistive devices and we also present an example of an assistive device, done in the 3D Printing Center for Health, as well as its impact on the patient's daily life. With this device, the patient became able to play the guitar and hold a knife, thus helping on these two activities.

The purpose of this study was to 1) identify and describe the population seeking alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) evaluations at an assistive technology (AT) center in the Midwestern United States and 2) describe the AAC device features or services participants identify as most important at their initial AAC evaluations. Charts of 53 participants seeking AAC interventions at an AT center in the Midwestern United States were retrospectively reviewed. Information from the QUEST 2.0 was used to determine what AT features were identified as most important. The majority of participants seen at the AT center had progressive diseases. Across all of the participants, ease of use and effectiveness were identified as the "most important" aspects of an AAC device satisfaction. These findings highlight the importance of determining who is accessing AAC services across AT centers to determine whether barriers to AAC services exist. Moreover, patients report regarding what variables they deem as most important reflect the fact that excellent service-delivery may not overcome the importance of other variables, such as ease of use that impact AAC use.

While wheelchair skills training has demonstrated highly effective outcomes for wheelchair users, prevalence of receiving comprehensive skills training is low. Studies demonstrate a wheelchair skills "bootcamp" significantly improves occupational therapy students' capacity to demonstrate wheelchair skill performance; however, how bootcamps impact students' self-efficacy to deliver skills training in future clinical practice is unclear. This study explored a large dataset collected from nine successive student cohorts attending a structured wheelchair skills bootcamp at a single site. Bootcamps were 4-4.5 hours in duration and content was based on the Wheelchair Skills Program. Mean improvement in skill capacity was 34.8% (95% CI 33.5; 36.1) and wheelchair self-efficacy improved by 28.7% (95% CI 27.3; 30.1). Post-bootcamp self-efficacy scores for Assessment (80.9%), Training (78.5%), Spotting (87.4%), and Documentation (70.4%) all improved by 30-40%. Mandatory bootcamps had lower baseline scores but similar post-bootcamp and change scores as voluntary ones. Cohorts during the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly lower baseline scores for wheelchair skill capacity and confidence as well as self-efficacy with assessment, but significantly larger improvements post-bootcamp. An experiential bootcamp is effective across a wide range of occupational therapy student cohorts in preparing them to deliver wheelchair skills training in future clinical practice.

Many students have difficulty in mastering syntax when programming. To alleviate this problem, the Scratch programming language was developed to have a visual block-based drag and drop code editor, where the shapes of the blocks and animation are used to make the syntax intuitive. To similarly make syntax intuitive to individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) using tangible code blocks, a method needs to take into account perceptual processing differences between the senses and implementation differences between the physical and virtual world. The studies in this paper examined the effectiveness of using localized reciprocal shape information in combination with magnetic attraction for providing intuitive feedback about syntax. Supplementing the use of localized reciprocal shape constraints with magnetic attraction increased the accuracy and perceived ease of use by blindfolded BVI users to detect whether blocks successfully connected and, therefore, represented a code segment with valid syntax. This did not appear to change significantly with changes in the size and weight of the blocks, although stronger magnetic connections appeared preferred. We also introduced a "stopper" design to allow for code blocks to have exceptions to the regular syntax rules, while not adding complexity to the majority of code blocks.