Design and Use of Assistive Technology assesses major hurdles in the design and use of assistive technologies, while also providing guidelines and recommendations to improve these technologies. This volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving the major issues surrounding designing and using assistive technologies for the physically impaired by blending engineering, computer science and medicine. The most difficult problems in assistive technologies, such as privacy concerns in data gathering and analysis, inherent heterogeneity of the user population, knowledge transfer of novel technologies and incorporation of the user perspective into the design process are all addressed. The book also: -Presents theories on assistive technology through the lens of fields ranging from engineering and computer science to occupational therapy and neurology -Discusses assistive technologies in a broad scope that presents designs and theories that are universally applicable Design and Use of Assistive Technology features contributions from experts in their subject areas who discuss specific methods and mechanisms to integrate the user’s experience into design and clinical evaluation in order to both create academic outreach through practical service models and improve knowledge transfer.

Volume numbers determined from Scope of the guidelines, p. 12-13.

This book offers a comprehensive look at human factors in Assistive Technology (AT) through real clinical experiences. Providing academic, clinical, and research information, the author helps acquaint professionals with human factors related to assistive technology. Critical issues regarding human factors in AT are presented to help clinicians and educators improve clinical practices with the devices they recommend, select, purchase, design, or use with their clients and students.

Assistive Technology for the Elderly addresses the intricacies involved in the design and development of assisted technologies for the elderly, covering smart systems such as magnifying book contents, speaking electronic devices, alarms for doors and windows, smart alert bands, panic buttons, medication dispensers and reminders, Wander Gard, physiological parameters monitoring systems and smart home monitoring systems. This book is aimed at those who are responsible for designing assistive technology intended to be used by the elderly. It lays out the technology that is already available and covers user needs and state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies. - Focuses on practical devices and technology for engineers - Offers deep coverage of sensor based assistive technologies that are elderly for people with dementia, physical disabilities and people living alone - Covers assistive technology ecosystems and offers case studies for practical application

Inclusive Design: What's in It for Me? presents a comprehensive review of current practice in inclusive design. With emphasis on new ideas for improvement and arguments for wider implementation in future, a unique combination of leading opinions on inclusive design from both industry and academia are offered. The theme throughout encourages a positive view of inclusive design as a good and profitable process and to produce a change to more effective approaches to "design for all". Inclusive Design is composed of two parts with a common chapter structure so that the business and design arguments in favour of inclusive design can be easily compared and assimilated: The Business Case presents the industrial and management benefits of inclusive design. It concentrates on demographic, legal and ethical reasons for all businesses being better off taking inclusivity into account in the design of their products or services. Case histories demonstrating the commercial success of inclusive design are drawn from the experiences of companies such as Tesco, Fiat and The Royal Mail. The Designers' Case focuses on the factors a designer needs to take into account when dealing with inclusivity. "Who is going to use my design?" "What do they need from my design?" "How do I take any medical needs into account?" "Just how "inclusive" is my design?" are all questions answered in this section which presents the necessary tools for effective inclusive design. This part of the book aims to convince a designer that inclusive design is a realistic goal. Inclusive Design will appeal to designers, researchers and students and to managers making decisions about the research and design strategies of their companies.

Educators who work with students with disabilities have the unique challenge of providing comprehensive and quality educational experiences for students who have a wide range of abilities and levels of focus. Pedagogies and educational strategies can be applied across a student population, though they tend to have varied success. Developing adaptive teaching methods that provide quality experiences for students with varied disabilities are necessary to promote success for as many of these students as possible. Special Education Design and Development Tools for School Rehabilitation Professionals is a comprehensive research publication that examines special education practices and provides in-depth evaluations of pedagogical practices for improved educational experiences for students with disabilities. Highlighting a range of topics such as bilingual education, psychometrics, and physical education, this book is ideal for special education teachers, instructors, rehabilitation professionals, academicians, school administrators, instructional designers, curriculum developers, principals, educational software developers, researchers, and students.

Written by professionals who have firsthand experience with assistive technology (AT), this book presents a holistic perspective on how and why people choose and use AT. In addition to sharing the latest research on design and development, it also features personal insights from AT users of all ages. Most notably, this resource documents and explains the crucial intangibles of AT, such as judging environmental compatibility, assessing an individual's need for AT, justifying third-party payment, acknowledging public perceptions of ATs, and measuring life outcomes. For researchers; practitioners; advocates; students; and AT users, designers, and manufacturers, this comprehensive volume helps to enhance the lives of people with disabilities through better-designed ATs.