Examples of Adaptive Technologies for the Disabled

There is no denying the fact in this age of technology, there is a steady increase of people who use computers and Internet frequently in their workplaces, public places, or homes, but there are still many individuals who do no have access to these technologies. Some may not access them because they cannot afford to do so financially. But others have failed because of disability, in spite of having access to computer. This is why adaptive technologies have been developed.  

Many computers in libraries, public information centres, government institution, still do have the adaptive technologies because they are still new in Malawi. We must, therefore, list down some examples of these technologies. However, before we do so, we must first describe different categories of disabilities that make it difficult for people to access information. The major categories of disability types are as follows:

•      Visual blindness: This may include blindness, low vision, and colour-blindness. One of the adaptive technologies used to deal with the problem is called the “Screen Magnifier,” which is used primarily by individuals with low vision. It is used to magnify a portion of the screen for easier viewing.

Another software is called “Screen Reader” which is used by individuals who are blind or who have dyslexia. It interprets what is displayed on a screen and directs it either to speech synthesis for audio output, or to refreshable Braille for tactile output.

•      Hearing disability: This includes Deafness. One of the adaptive software used is “Visual Notification,” which is an alternative feature of some operating systems that allows deaf or hard of hearing users to receive a visual alert of a warning or error message that might otherwise be issued by sound.

•      Motor disability: This includes inability to use a mouse, and slow response time. A typical adaptive software used is the “Speech Recognition,” which is used by people with some physical disabilities or temporary injuries to hands and forearms as an input method in some voice browsers.

•      Cognitive disability: This category includes learning disabilities, distractibility, and inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information. This, though, may not always require specific adaptive technology. Clear and simple language; consistent design; consistent navigation options; multiple search options are some of the solutions to deal with cognitive disability.

Most of the time, these adaptations benefit nearly everyone, not justpersons with disabilities. Almost everyone benefits from helpful illustrations, properly organised content and clear navigation. Similarly, while captions are necessity for Deaf users, they can be helpful to others, including anyone who views a video without audio.

Finally, let us also mention that besides information, the right to education for persons with disabilities is also one of the critical rights that have been violated in Malawi. Next week, we shall specifically look at how children with disabilities have struggled to access education in many parts of the country.