Aids, equipment and assistive technologies

For many Queenslanders, including the 1 in 5 Queenslanders who live with disability, the availability of multi-use devices—such as tablet PCs and smartphones—is changing how technology is being integrated as part of their lives.

These devices are interactive, engaging and relatively affordable.

They are also increasingly popular.

People with a disability, as well as family, friends, carers and other professionals who support them, want to know:

• How can they find out what aids, equipment and assistive technologies are right for them?
• How can they find out more about different emerging technologies, such as tablet PCs and smartphones; and if these technologies might help them, or a person they love, care for or support, with participating in everyday activities?

You might also be interested in finding out more about what is aids, equipment and assistive technology; as well as social media guides to help people with disability with overcoming barriers to accessibility issues with popular school media tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

The aids, equipment and assistive technology guide

Disability Online has spoken to professionals from leading community organisations, business owners, families and people with a disability to find out how aids, equipment and assistive technologies are changing the lives of Queenslanders with a disability.

You can go directly to the Disability Online aids, equipment and assistive technology guide.

Read it

Included are:

• Expert opinions and guidance about how you can integrate aids, equipment and assistive technology as part of your life; or support a person you love, care for or support with choosing the right options
• Tablet PCs in education settings: how contemporary technology devices like iPads are being used by professionals including speech pathologists, auditory-verbal therapists and teachers to help students with a disability develop new skills
• Resources: including links to helpful app guides, experts' suggestions to help you with choosing apps that are suitable and advice for people with different types of disability about aids, equipment and assistive technology options that may suit them.
• Personal stories shared by Queenslanders with a disability and their families about how they are using contemporary technology devices to support them with meeting their needs
• Information about funding assistance for aids, equipment and assistive technologies.

Watch it

You can see:

• Becky, a speech pathologist at an AEIOU Foundation Centre, assist Byron, a young boy with autism, with a learning exercise on an iPad.
• Eddie, a client at the Hear and Say Centre in Brisbane, practise auditory rehearsal in a lesson with Kirsty, his auditory-verbal therapist.
• Dianne Heaney, the AEIOU Foundation's Director of Education, discuss how iPads can be used as a learning and engagement tool for young children with autism, and what parents need to consider with making informed purchasing decisions.
• Dennis Lo, a speech pathologist at LifeTec, show how a Bluetooth-enabled wheelchair that is connected to a communication device can be used by a person with disability.