“For most people, technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, technology makes things possible.” —Mary Pat Radabaugh.
Assistive Technology (AT), such as wheelchairs, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, environmental control units (ECUs) and many other technologies designed for persons with disabilities have played as essential role in increasing their independence and participation in their home and community.
Mainstream smart technologies such as smartphones, tablets, smart home devices, smart speakers or displays, smart watches, wearable devices, and more, are becoming more common throughout our society and daily activities. The market has rapidly grown in recent years and the technologies are constantly evolving resulting in more affordable devices with dynamic capabilities. For most people, these devices can make completing our daily activities more convenient. For people with disabilities, these devices have the potential to enable participation and increase independence.
Despite the advancements of mainstream smart technologies, simply purchasing them off the shelf many not ensure they meet diverse needs and abilities of persons with disabilities. Additionally, ensuring mainstream smart technologies are compatible with each other and with the user’s existing assistive technologies can be confusing, given the expansive selection on the mainstream market.
Traditional AT manufacturers and suppliers play a beneficial role in collaborating with clinicians and delivering AT solutions to ensure the technologies best meet the needs of persons with disabilities. However, given that mainstream technologies are marketed to the general public, the traditional AT service delivery model that involves manufacturers and suppliers is not possible for mainstream technologies. Thus, more responsibility is often placed on the clinicians to stay knowledgeable on the devices available and their functionality, both of which are constantly changing. These limitations may help explain the lag in adoption of using mainstream smart home technologies as AT for persons with disabilities.
The goal of Project ASSIST (Autonomy, Safety, and Social Integration via Smart Technologies) is to develop and evaluate an evidence-based model for delivering mainstream smart technologies as AT to support independent living and community integration of people with physical disabilities who are at risk of institutionalization.
The objectives of Project ASSIST include:
1. Developing the comprehensive ASSIST intervention including a custom assessment tool, the ASSIST intervention manual, and training materials for professionals and users/families. The intervention will be refined through repeated trials with a small group of potential users with physical disabilities.
2. Evaluating the ASSIST intervention, in a six-month pilot study with participants 21 years or older who are living in the community eligible for Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) and home & community-based services (HCBS) due to a physical disability that prevents them from independently controlling or accessing their environment.
Our team will use the ASSIST blog to share the information we learned and resources we found helpful to support use of mainstream smart technologies as AT for persons with physical disabilities. We are investigating the diverse functionality and potential uses of many different smart technologies as we develop the ASSIST Intervention and look forward to sharing project updates with you along the way.