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Examining the Past, Present, and Future of Assistive Technology
By Rick Hoel
Published November 17, 2021
In today’s world, assistive technology is a catch-all term describing a broad category of original, modified, or customized equipment or systems “used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” Assistive technology’s purpose today is to increase access not only to buildings but also to information and its derivative processes, for anyone who can benefit, and primarily for people with disabilities.
Broadly defined:
[…] assistive technology can be anything from mobility devices to screen
magnification software. Assistive technology is anything that improves the
user’s ability to access or enjoy a program, service, activity, or facility.
The 21st century has witnessed immeasurable advances in technology. A consistent theme runs through this progress – a repetitive pattern initiated with a breakthrough invention promising new and exciting capabilities to the fortunate few which eventually transforms and ultimately offers the same benefits to almost everyone. For [...]