Dennis Lo: So what we have here is a wheelchair that is Bluetooth-enabled that is connected to a communication device which allows the person to actually control the communication device, or computer in this case from their wheelchair controller. As you can see here, as I move the joystick on the wheelchair, the mouse cursor actually moves along with it on the screen and that means a person can use whatever skills that they have learnt in terms of driving the wheelchair for their communication as well.
Types of aids and equipment
Types of aids, equipment and assistive technology
There are different types of aids, equipment and assistive technology that are used by Queenslanders. Some major types include:
- aids for daily living
- alternative and augmentative communication
- mobility aids
- seating and positioning equipment
- computer access aids
- environmental controls
- home modifications, vehicle modifications and workplace modifications
- prosthetics and orthodontics
- sensory aids
- recreation devices.
Watch Dennis Lo, a speech pathologist at LifeTec Queensland, showing how a piece of assistive technology—a Bluetooth-enabled wheelchair that is connected to a communication device—can be used.
Contemporary technology devices
Devices like smartphones and tablet PCs are being used to provide people with disability—as well as people who experience chronic illness or have another identified need—with support.
Contemporary technology devices differ from more traditional types of aids and equipment in particular ways:
- they are often multi-purpose devices that have been developed for general use, rather than being developed for people with a disability
- they often include inbuilt accessibility features and are relatively affordable, in comparison to disability-specific aids
- they are changing and evolving very quickly, as a result of progress with technology and demand for universal design.
More information
You can find out more about aids, equipment and assistive technology on the LifeTec Queensland website.