Beyond One Size Fits All: Meeting Individual Needs with Assistive Technology Support
People with disabilities may need different types of help to use assistive technology (AT) effectively. Some common types of help that may be needed include:
- Technical support: Technical support to set up and configure their AT devices. Technical support may also be needed to troubleshoot any issues that arise.
- Training: Training to learn how to use their AT devices effectively. Training may cover topics such as how to navigate the device's user interface, how to customise the device to meet individual needs, and how to integrate the device with other technology.
- Customization: Devices that are customised to meet their individual needs. Customization may involve modifying the device's software or hardware to improve its functionality or usability. Customization helps in meeting different user needs. Customization means that one size does not fit everyone which is often true in the case of AT.
- Accessibility features: Accessibility features help people with disabilities use the device more easily. Examples of accessibility features include screen readers, magnification software, and voice recognition software.
- Integration with other technology: Integrating their AT devices with other technology, such as their computer or mobile device. It becomes important to think about how a voice enabled speaker from Amazon, Google or Apple will function along with a keyboard or smartphone.
- Repair and maintenance: Assistance may be required with repairing or maintaining their devices to ensure they continue to function properly. Very often AT are not durable and lack the quality to be used over longer periods of time.
A product is only as good as its manuals so we want to make sure that people can read all of the manuals before they even decide to purchase. It is important to us that each document is thorough with an attention to detail. Knowing what a series of vibrations mean in a certain context is all that is required to enable a user to make changes to the settings or monitor things like battery level. We did not want to leave anything open for interpretation and have everything detailed out to a T. We are open for any feedback on this though, so if you have read the user manuals then feel free to let us know what you think!
