What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology includes equipment or devices designed to help you perform tasks that might be challenging due to your disability. It can also make certain activities easier or safer to accomplish.
All supports provided through the NDIS must adhere to the criteria of being reasonable and necessary.
Assistive products encompass a wide variety of items, from physical tools like wheelchairs, eyeglasses, prosthetic limbs, white canes, and hearing aids, to digital solutions such as speech recognition software, time management tools, and captioning systems.
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Assistive technology can be classified according to the specific functions it offers.
Assistive technology for cognition (ATC) helps individuals with cognitive challenges improve memory, concentration, and navigation. Examples of ATC include talking word processors, text readers, notetakers, and various educational software designed to support learning.
For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, assistive technology typically involves hearing aids, but modern advancements have introduced assistive listening devices that reduce background noise, enabling individuals to focus on a specific speaker more effectively.
Assistive eating devices are tools like large, easy-to-hold utensils designed to aid independent eating. Today, there are also feeding devices available to assist individuals with disabilities in feeding themselves autonomously. Additionally, computer accessibility solutions like screen magnifiers and voice recognition software have been developed to make computer use more manageable for people with disabilities.
Mobility aids range from wheelchairs and walkers to more advanced technologies like prostheses and exoskeletons. A prosthesis replaces a body part, while an exoskeleton is a wearable device that provides support to the body, allowing users to lift heavy objects without straining their back. Visual aids, such as screen magnifiers, large-print keyboards, and wearable devices, complement early technologies like Braille to assist individuals with visual impairments.