Autonomy Benefits and Risks of Assistive Technologies for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

O’Brolcháin, Fiachra

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2018.00296

Cited by 13 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…EPRS (2018) highlighted the various legal aspects relating to assistive technology, in the context of European Union law, which covered competence, the lack of a generally accepted definition, and the variety of hazards posed by such technology in terms of human rights, dignity, privacy, freedom, and the social inclusion of individuals with disabilities. For example, it is vital to consider an individual’s freedom, values, and choices when using assistive technology (O’Brolcháin, 2018), balancing the right to accessibility and individual privacy, and taking into consideration access to sensitive personal information, developing an informed consent process, considering a user-centered model of technology design, and ensuring that tools are safe (EPRS, 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Assistive Technology by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in Jordan

Al‐Zboon¹

2020

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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Introduction: Ethical practices and technology are current trends in education for individuals with disabilities. This study investigates the perceptions of assistive technology expressed by teachers of students with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision) in Jordan. Methods: The research involved 20 teachers. Data were collected via semistructured interviews and analysis carried out via the constant-comparative method. Results: The results highlight the challenges that teachers perceive in using assistive technology with their students, particularly regarding computer use, the willingness of a child to use a particular device, the lack of such technologies in schools and in the home, and a lack of training in the home. The results highlight perceived external barriers to the effective use of assistive technology, including those related to finance, training, societal attitudes, and family support. It appears that assistive technology can also have negative effects, which can be considered an ethical issue, since such technologies can expose students with visual impairments to negative community attitudes, addiction, bullying, abuse, and extremism. Discussion: Teachers highlight the issues they experience in using assistive technology with students with visual impairments in Jordan, which can be explained by the contextual conditions in the country. Implications for practitioners: Decision-makers in the field of visual impairment need to consider these issues through providing professional development, addressing financial barriers, and conducting awareness programs for students regarding the effective use of assistive technology.

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confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Assistive Technology by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in Jordan

Al‐Zboon¹

2020

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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“…In developing XR-based interventions, and more broadly assistive technologies for individuals with ID, O'Brolcháin [56] emphasizes the importance of individuals making choices according to their own individual preferences. In line with this, we found that two studies identified the need to create scenarios with multiple configurations, adapted to the specific needs of each individual [30,31].…”

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confidence: 99%

The use of extended reality (XR) for people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (ID): A scoping review

Maran¹,

Daniëls²,

Slegers³

2022

TAD

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BACKGROUND: New technologies have made rapid advances in the field of assistive technologies (AT), with Extended Reality (XR) offering promising results in supporting people with mild intellectual disabilities (ID). Yet, the design and goals of programs for people with mild ID may differ from those for people with moderate and severe ID. It remains unclear how XR technologies are used for people with moderate to severe ID. OBJECTIVE: The study we present in this paper aimed to explore what is known from the existing scientific literature about XR-based interventions for supporting people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, including the features of XR content and technology that is used and factors that may impact implementation. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review, searching Cinahl, PubMed, LibSearch, and Google Scholar based on inclusion and exclusion criteria ensuring the focus on XR and moderate to severe ID. We adopted a qualitative content analysis approach to review the papers resulting from the search. RESULTS: In total, we included 16 papers in the review. Most of these focused on XR-based interventions to improve specific skills, such as navigation and daily living skills, in order to increase autonomy and independence. We found a large variety in the content and technology used in these interventions as well as in factors that the authors found to affect the implementation. These factors concern characteristics of users, of caregivers or facilitators, and of the XR environments and systems. The majority of the papers reported studies with small sample sizes, and lacked control groups and follow-up periods to measure long-term effects of XR. CONCLUSIONS: The use of XR for people with moderate to severe ID is an emerging field. Although many authors of the reviewed studies do acknowledge the potential of XR, further evidence is needed. Future research might explore the potential of XR as leisure activity, and might study in detail how features of the XR environment impact behaviour to inform professionals about how to approach their use of XR in order to meet the needs and preferences of people with moderate and severe ID.

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“…Individuals with disabilities are at high risk of experiencing healthcare and employment barriers, − depression, − anxiety, , distress, , and even danger from their medical conditions. − Furthermore, by 2050, approximately 22% of the world’s population will be over 60 years old, creating a new global challenge for healthcare systems . As a practical tool for aiding those with disabilities engage in social life, assistive physical therapy (APT) devices play a critical role in their daily lives. − Assistive physical therapy devices are adaptive and rehabilitative devices that are designed to mitigate the effects of disabilities in performing tasks such as cognition, , communication, , literacy, , and mobility; , these devices can take different forms, including accessories or implants. Because individuals display unique health profiles by virtue of their varying family medical histories, lifestyles, and genetics, providing assistive services depends on practical, sensor-acquired data analysis. − Challenges in creating APT devices thus far largely stem from the demand for a diversified application market for more advanced functionality and portability.…”

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Machine-Learning-Aided Self-Powered Assistive Physical Therapy Devices

Xiao

Fang

et al. 2021

ACS Nano

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An expanding elderly population and people with disabilities pose considerable challenges to the current healthcare system. As a practical technology that integrates systems and services, assistive physical therapy devices are essential to maintain or to improve an individual’s functioning and independence, thus promoting their well-being. Given technological advancements, core components of self-powered sensors and optimized machine-learning algorithms will play innovative roles in providing assistive services for unmet global needs. In this Perspective, we provide an overview of the latest developments in machine-learning-aided assistive physical therapy devices based on emerging self-powered sensing systems and a discussion of the challenges and opportunities in this field.

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Autonomy Benefits and Risks of Assistive Technologies for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Cited by 13 publications

References 18 publications

Perceptions of Assistive Technology by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in Jordan

Perceptions of Assistive Technology by Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments in Jordan

The use of extended reality (XR) for people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (ID): A scoping review

Machine-Learning-Aided Self-Powered Assistive Physical Therapy Devices

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