Assistive technology has made it feasible for individuals with a wide range of impairments to engage in many activities, such as education and employment, in ways not previously possible. The key factor is to create consumer-driven technologies that solve the problems by addressing the needs of persons with visual impairments. Assistive Technology for Blindness and Low Vision explores a broad range of technologies that are improving the lives of these individuals. Presenting the current state of the art, this book emphasizes what can be learned from past successful products, as well as what exciting new solutions the future holds. Written by world-class leaders in their field, the chapters cover the physiological bases of vision loss and the fundamentals of orientation, mobility, and information access for blind and low vision individuals. They discuss technology for multiple applications (mobility, wayfinding, information access, education, work, entertainment), including both established technology and cutting-edge research. The book also examines computer and digital media access and the scientific basis for the theory and practice of sensory substitution. This volume provides a holistic view of the elements to consider when designing assistive technology for persons with visual impairment, keeping in mind the need for a user-driven approach to successfully design products that are easy to use, well priced, and fill a specific need. Written for a broad audience, this book provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth descriptions of current technology for designers, engineers, practitioners, rehabilitation professionals, and all readers interested in the challenges and promises of creating successful assistive technology.

Assistive technology has made it feasible for individuals with a wide range of impairments to engage in many activities, such as education and employment, in ways not previously possible. The key factor is to create consumer-driven technologies that solve the problems by addressing the needs of persons with visual impairments. Assistive Technology for Blindness and Low Vision explores a broad range of technologies that are improving the lives of these individuals. Presenting the current state of the art, this book emphasizes what can be learned from past successful products, as well as what exciting new solutions the future holds. Written by world-class leaders in their field, the chapters cover the physiological bases of vision loss and the fundamentals of orientation, mobility, and information access for blind and low vision individuals. They discuss technology for multiple applications (mobility, wayfinding, information access, education, work, entertainment), including both established technology and cutting-edge research. The book also examines computer and digital media access and the scientific basis for the theory and practice of sensory substitution. This volume provides a holistic view of the elements to consider when designing assistive technology for persons with visual impairment, keeping in mind the need for a user-driven approach to successfully design products that are easy to use, well priced, and fill a specific need. Written for a broad audience, this book provides a comprehensive overview and in-depth descriptions of current technology for designers, engineers, practitioners, rehabilitation professionals, and all readers interested in the challenges and promises of creating successful assistive technology.

Master the assistive strategies you need to make confident clinical decisions and help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities with this new essentials text. Based on the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) model developed by Dr. Cook, the book provides the most important coverage of the devices, services, and practices that comprise assistive technology and focuses on the relationship between the human user and the assisted activity within specific contexts. Case studies, illustrations of assistive devices, review questions, and well-developed learning objectives help you focus on the most important areas of assistive technology application. - UNIQUE! OTA focus provides you with the specific information occupational therapy assistants need to know to implement and utilize assistive technologies. - Comprehensive coverage includes all areas of assistive technologies. - The AT industry - A historical perspective on the industry - Relevant legislation - Issues of professional practice - Service delivery in assistive technologies - General purpose assistive technologies - Specific areas of application for assistive technologies - And more - Content derived from market leader gives you similar chapters and organization to the Principles text, but has more of a focus on the practical skills and knowledge needed for the implementation of AT.

The familiar image of the disabled tends to emphasize their limitations and reduced quality of life. However, many people with cognitive, motor, and other difficulties also have the capacity to enhance their social interactions, leisure pursuits and daily activities with the aid of assistive technology. Assistive devices from the simple to the sophisticated, have become essential to intervention programs for this population. And not surprisingly the numbers of devices available are growing steadily. Assistive Technologies for People with Diverse Abilities offers expert analysis of pertinent issues coupled with practical discussion of solutions for effective support. Its comprehensive literature review describes current and emerging devices and presents evidence-based guidelines for matching promising technologies to individuals. Program outcomes are assessed, as are their potential impact on the future of the field. In addition, chapters provide detailed descriptions of the personal and social needs of the widest range of individuals with congenital and acquired conditions, including: Acquired brain damage. Communication impairment. Attention and learning difficulties (with special focus on college students). Visual impairment and blindness. Autism spectrum disorders. Behavioral and occupational disorders. Alzheimer's disease. Severe, profound and multiple impairments. The scope and depth of coverage makes Assistive Technologies for People with Diverse Abilities an invaluable resource for researchers, professionals and graduate students in developmental psychology, rehabilitation medicine, educational technology, occupational therapy, speech pathology and clinical psychology.

Presents new information & hopes to interest new research professionals in meeting the challenges faced by persons with a visual disability. Articles: outcome assessment of the rehabilitation of the visually impaired; characteristics of AMD patients with low vision receiving visual rehabilitation; visual factors & mobility in persons with age-related macular degeneration; a biomechanical evaluation of visually impaired persons' gait & long-cane mechanics; remote infrared signage evaluation for transit stations & intersections; & impact of digital miniaturization & networked topologies on access to next generation telecomm. by people with visual disabilities. Illustrations.

Assistive Technology (AT) is an umbrella term indicating any product or technology-based service that enables people of all ages with activity limitations in their daily life, education, work or leisure. It is a highly interdisciplinary field, encompassing research, development, manufacture, supply, provision and policy. This book presents the proceedings of the 12th biennial European conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, AAATE 2013, held in Vilamoura, Portugal, in September 2013. The full papers included here cover a diverse range of subjects, including: ageing, disability and technology; accessibility in Europe; ambient assisted living; AT and Cloud computing; communication access for all; monitoring and telecare; and user perspective, to name but a few. The aim of the AAATE conference is to promote a more effective dialogue between manufacturers, researchers, developers, professionals and end users, and this book will be of interest to all those directly or indirectly involved in the field of AT.

It is imperative in today’s educational environment that educators are prepared to utilize assistive technology to support all learners and provide them with the best education possible. In order to ensure assistive technology is used appropriately, further study on the best practices, strategies, and tactics of implementation is required. Using Assistive Technology for Inclusive Learning in K-12 Classrooms highlights the need and use of assistive technology in special education and provides pre-service teachers in regular and special education programs with research-based methods and materials to promote a more inclusive environment for students with disabilities. Covering key topics such as educational technology, special needs, and teaching methods, this premier reference source is ideal for industry professionals, policymakers, administrators of both K-12 and higher education, researchers, scholars, academicians, pre-service teachers, teacher educators, instructional designers, practitioners, instructors, and students.

The contribution that this book makes to scholarship is regarded as ground-breaking, as it is based on recent research conducted with teachers on the ground-level, as well as on research and experiences of practitioners, gained over many years. In this volume, Understanding education for the visually impaired, the focus falls on understanding visual impairment within the South African context, more specifically on what the education of these learners entails. In addition to the contribution to existing literature in the fields of inclusive education and visual impairment, the publication has practical application value for teachers and practitioners who work with and support such learners.

This resource focuses on the principles, modeling, standards, devices, and technologies of rehabilitation engineering and assistive technology. It describes numerous design models and processes, including participatory action design and service delivery models. The book also discusses the components of devices such as cushions, wheelchairs, prostheses, orthoses, hearing aids, and TTYs. The contributors assess industry standards and explore innovative technology aids, such as sensors, robot-assisted therapy, and speech recognition software. The text contains a set of learning objectives and study questions in each chapter as well as a list of definitions at the end of the book.

This book gives an outline of possible technological support for students with visual challenges. Different forms of available technology-both assistive and learning, are explained. The technology based teaching for students with visual challenges is also detailed out. Moreover, trends of research in the area is reviewed and presented meaningfully. In addition to these, summary of a research study among selected visually challenged students is also discussed. This book will definitely give the reader an understanding on technology for managing students with visual challenges.