ABSTRACT
Marcia J. Scherer
Universal Design and Assistive Technology
People often think of AT as “high-tech gizmos.” We know, however, how “low-tech” devices (such as built-up handles on eating utensils) can promote independence and improve the individual’s quality of life (QOL). Environmental accommodations, as well as products made universally accessible to all regardless of ability, additively contribute to an enhanced QOL.
Thanks to the wide number of accommodations, products and options available, individuals with even very severe disabilities can live independently, travel around the world, and work in a competitive job. Yet, challenges remain. Many people are not aware of the vast array of available options, even professionals who provide AT, and certainly not consumers. Often, professionals do not have the resources to travel to events where the news AT is displayed, nor can they afford as individuals to subscribe to publications. One solution is to organize in a group to trade information and share resources. Another is to partner with consumers and do product and information searches on the Internet.
There is a tremendous need for both AT resources and information about AT. As important, it is crucial that each consumer receives a comprehensive and individualized evaluation by a qualified professional in order to address the consumer’s needs, priorities, and begin to select the most appropriate options. As a profession, we must recognize that support for a person with a disability (AT, environmental accommodation, etc.) must be adapted to the individual’s needs and preferences; not that an individual has to adapt to the existing structure of the support. We need to remove from our minds that cost of the support is a deciding factor for what is selected. And we need to adopt the perspective that consumers have a right to choose their support, reject a technology in favor of assistance from another person, and that the best match of person and support will only occur when the person is involved in the processes of evaluation, selection, and outcomes determination. This is what allows people with disabilities to get out of a state of stuck.