Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology

 

Assistive technology has always been an amusing concept for me. My disability, Cerebral Palsy, is quite significant. I cannot drink without a straw, but are drinking straws considered assistive technology? I also have minimal use of my hands and use a word expansion application to help me type faster. Many people with disabilities use a speech recognition system to navigate their computers and the Internet and create documents. These applications used to be called assistive technology, but when people without disabilities use them, they are conveniences and aid to productivity. Would anyone call Siri an assistive technology? What about speakerphones? Gadgets and applications seem to be classified as assistive technology until the general public realizes how universal that gadget or app can be. When people ask me what assistive technology I like the best, my answer is the Wells Fargo Visa Card. It's surprising how much easier it is for people to understand me after seeing that card!

So is it assistive technology or a mainstream technology product with accessibility features? The products have no such categories, and the differences only seem to arise regarding who uses them in what context. Most, if not all, developers and companies I know want to build accessible technologies. Who wouldn't want their product to be usable by as many potential customers as possible? At Wells Fargo, I always ensured the Bank had at least one team member actively engaged with the W3C Web

Accessibility Initiative (W A I). Their web accessibility standards are pretty comprehensive, which is why they're being implemented in law and practice worldwide. The main issue was and continues to be how to educate thousands of developers on the standards and ensure an ever-changing system continuously conforms to the accessibility rules. If not automatically, we need to make changes quickly and be tested and reconstructed to meet W3C W A I guidelines. I also hope companies will proudly display an icon depicting their alliance with accessibility guidelines.

Universal Design is a two-way obligation. I encourage assistive technology designers to design products and services for people with disabilities to consider how the general public might use their inventions. Last week, a small hardware firm sent a designer to my house to find out what kind of hardware might better enable me to use my smartphone or tablet from my wheelchair. I applauded them for considering the needs of people with disabilities. I explained how I'd like a stand-mounted to my wheelchair to hold the IPAD steady and recharge using solar energy. I urge them to design the stand for bicyclists and people pushing strollers. Marketing to the general public usually leads to a better product at a lower price, helps ensure that people with disabilities are aware of it, and removes the stigma associated with using assistive technologies. Marketing to the general public is also more lucrative, ensuring companies will be around to build the next\ great product.