Design and Use of Assistive Technology

Design and Use of Assistive Technology assesses major hurdles in the design and use of assistive technologies, while also providing guidelines and recommendations to improve these technologies. This volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving the major issues surrounding designing and using assistive technologies for the physically impaired by blending engineering, computer science and medicine. The most difficult problems in assistive technologies, such as privacy concerns in data gathering and analysis, inherent heterogeneity of the user population, knowledge transfer of novel technologies and incorporation of the user perspective into the design process are all addressed. The book also: -Presents theories on assistive technology through the lens of fields ranging from engineering and computer science to occupational therapy and neurology -Discusses assistive technologies in a broad scope that presents designs and theories that are universally applicable Design and Use of Assistive Technology features contributions from experts in their subject areas who discuss specific methods and mechanisms to integrate the user’s experience into design and clinical evaluation in order to both create academic outreach through practical service models and improve knowledge transfer.

Design and Use of Assistive Technology provides an interdisciplinary approach to assess some of the major hurdles in creating effective assistive technology. Assistive technology must be integrated with clinical needs, user requirements, ethical considerations, and the social context of the technology’s use. Gaps between engineering design, clinical evaluation, and actual use often derail potentially transformative technologies that would otherwise enable independence and facilitate social connectedness. This volume gathers recommendations that span engineering, computer science, rehabilitation sciences, and ethics. This book: • Addresses difficult problems such as the inherent heterogeneity of users, privacy concerns in data collection and analysis, and incorporation of user perspective into the design and evaluation process • Discusses models for knowledge transfer of novel technologies, advantages and disadvantages of small markets, and regulations and standards to enable commercialization • Presents a framework for ethics of “accessible” technologies that differs from frameworks for engineering or medical ethics Design and Use of Assistive Technology demonstrates how multidisciplinary process improvements in assistive technology deployment have the potential to empower businesses, researchers, and nonprofit organizations to create and bring to market new devices that incorporate ethical, social, and clinical concerns to enhance people’s lives.