Assistive Technologies

Ensuring the Future Through Innovation, Science and Technology

Assistive Technology (AT)

The Directors of the Board of the Foundation agree that assistive technologies are niche technologies that should be mainstreamed.

Mr. John Williams has been a consultant to the Foundation for over three years. He is an authority on disability issues and assistive technologies. He authored many of the articles (old and new) that appear in the Directory of Assistive Technology Manufacturers (www.atn-ctcf.org ). The Foundation researched and published the Directory.

Assistive technologies are products that breakdown historical communication, environmental and physical barriers that for thousands of years have prevented people with disabilities from achieving economic and social independence in their communities. People with disabilities have been denied equality and have become wards of either the state, charitable institutions or their families.

These technologies are useful to individuals besides the disabled. As populations in America (there are an estimated 78 million baby boomers) and China age, these technologies can be phased-into an individual’s daily routine to maintain their quality of life.

Over the course of the last seven years, the Foundation has educated the American people by using public and commercial television. For example, in March 2004, the Foundation organized and videotaped a demonstration of assistive technologies (ATs) at the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) which was broadcast by California Public Television Stations. During the Christmas Season 2004, Messrs. Williams and McClintic (the Foundation’s Executive Director) organized and videotaped a demonstration of assistive technologies that would make suitable Holiday Gifts for children with disabilities. This program was broadcast by the Washington, DC affiliate of CBS, WUSA TV9.

For example, the eyetracking technology of LC Technologies of Fairfax, VA (www.eyegaze.com ) has been developed for individuals with the degenerative disease, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. The last sense that one has when one has this debilitating disease is vision. Eyetracking enables the disabled person (who cannot speak or use a computer) to “gaze” at and select various commands or at letters on a computer screen to create a word or develop a sentence.

This same eyetracking technology can be “mainstreamed” to diagnose a non-disabled person’s reading patterns (normal or not), or be used instead of hand controls (joysticks) when playing videogames. The miniature camera could be embedded in the rearview mirror of a car or truck and determine when the driver is getting drowsy.

Mr. Williams and the Foundation are developing a series of Conferences on Disability in the Asia-Pacific Rim. The first Conference will be held in Hong Kong in 2006.

The conferences in 2007 and 2008 will be in Beijing and focus on exhibiting AT and prosthetic products and showing their usage in the lives of people with disabilities in education, employment, information and communications technology, quality of life issues and accessibility.

With the world in attendance in 2008 in Beijing, the Foundation's conference will be held before the Paralympic games to show the attendees these products in action and how they can improve the mental and physical lives of people using them. The center can be a highlight of the activities associated with the games. The center can help change peoples’ minds regarding the ability of people with disabilities.

The assistive technology center can be the Crown Jewel of the Asia-Pacific Rim region and China can show the world its commitment to advancing opportunities for people with disabilities. The center can be used to train people from other countries on assistive technologies and how to use them in delivering services.

Goal: Integrate disabled persons, who are disproportionately underemployed, into mainstream society in order to achieve economic diversity and strength.

Related Initiatives

Order Assistive Technologies Manufacturers Directory

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