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Assistive Technology Empowering Students

On June 9, 2020

Stepping Into the Future: How Assistive Technology is Transforming Teaching Students with Disabilities

When considering technology, the first thing that comes to mind might not be the assistive tools used in classrooms, but these innovative instruments are revolutionizing the way teachers conduct their classroom business, especially Special Education classrooms. With a variety of different apps, organizers, and special technologies, students with disabilities and their families can rest assured that teachers have a large group of resources at their disposal.

Consider the Academy of Whole Learning, a K-12, private Minnesota school for students with learning disabilities including Autism. The academy introduced virtual reality technology to their classrooms, which is just one example of the many assistive technologies teachers can implement in their teaching. According to Kade Dreschler, a teacher at the Academy of Whole Learning, the immersive VR experience was a wonderful experience for the students. Using the VR technology, the students were able to block out classroom distractions and focus on the environment on the screen in front of them, leading to improvements in their social and friendship experiences. These technologies, too, are helpful for students with a range of disabilities, including those who are blind or visually compared, those who are deaf or hard of hearing, or those with other learning, cognitive, or developmental disabilities.

The types of assistive technology used by teachers is incredibly varied, especially depending on their students’ disabilities. For students who are visually compared, have dyslexia, or are blind, teachers can use text-to-speech technology to allow these students to listen to things on a printed page. It works by scanning words on a page and reading them allowed in a robotic voice, allowing students who cannot easily read to still enjoy the text!

Perhaps a lesser-known type of assistive technology is called the sip-and-puff system and works to assist students and people with paralysis or other motor skill difficulties. Using this system, students can use a joystick in order to control their technological applications, moving the cursor with their heads and clicking with a sip or puff. While this system is new and still needs some refinement, it has already become a pivotal part of special education classrooms.

Clearly, assistive technologies for students with disabilities are quickly becoming a necessity. With the emergence of these technologies, and the tireless plight of teachers to teach their students to the best of their ability, it’s safe to say that students with disabilities are in good educational hands.

Technology Spotlight: Project Understood

By Russ Ewell

On December 31, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

Google is a seasoned pro when it comes to developing reliable and modern technology that promotes inclusion amongst all users. We are living in an era where voice technology is becoming the norm as pivotal software to assist users with a variety of tasks. Digital voice assistants like Google’s Assistant, Apple’s Siri, and Amazon’s Alexa have quickly become a necessity through all tech mediums like smartphones, tablets, and home devices.

However, the Canadian Down Syndrome Society (CDSS) noticed that voice technology can lack the capability to correctly understand and transmit the voices of individuals with Down Syndrome. The way that individuals with Down Syndrome speak can be anomalous compared to those without, making the software difficult to use. Although, it is likely that individuals with a number of disabilities would benefit from the technology the most.

With this mission in mind, the CDSS set forth to find partnership in one of these major tech companies to not only recognize the issue at hand but join them in developing a solution that they have named Project Understood. Google was quick to jump on board and, with the society’s help, is testing its technology.

The initial test was to record 1,700 words and phrases spoken by individuals with Down Syndrome. From there, researchers could analyze whether or not Google’s voice technology was able to learn from the repetitive input of this voice data. They started with about nine volunteers.

After the initial testing, researched could confirm that Google’s voice technology was able to understand about 2 of 3 words spoken by individuals with Down Syndrome and that it has the capabilities to learn more with further data. Now the project just needs to secure more volunteers to feed Google’s voice technology more data.

Google and the CDSS are now seeking to collect about a thousand different voices of individuals with Down Syndrome to donate their time to developing this dynamic software. Not only will this help teach the system to learn to recognize speech from individuals with Down Syndrome, but it should also benefit other individuals with disabilities or atypical speech.

Google and the Canadian Down Syndrome Society are just a few of a number of companies that are working to build a more inclusive future for individuals with disabilities. Voice recognition, along with other smart technologies, has the capability to enhance the lives of all users, no matter their differences.

Video Games Provide an Outlet for People with Disabilities

By Russ Ewell

On November 25, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 61 million individuals with disabilities living in the United States alone. That is 26% of the adult population or 1 out of 4 people.

These disabilities vary immensely between being physically or mentally centered, but having any can impact an individual’s quality of life. Social and physical isolation is common among people with disabilities. Not being able to perform day-to-day tasks, or even leave the house, can lead to crushing discouragement.

However, especially with technological advances in the digital age, Video games can often provide an outlet for relief and inclusion for these individuals. This can be true for several reasons.

To begin with, video games are a great distraction from the real world. Regardless of genre, a good game pulls you into its world, allowing the user to forget about your problems. And for individuals with disabilities, they are offered the same opportunity to immerse themselves in a new world.

Many gamers with disabilities call the virtual realms an escape from reality. The same is true for everyone. Video games are an outlet for gamers with or without disabilities, for anyone looking for another life.

The distraction isn’t the sole appeal of games. Video games can also become major hubs for socializing. Many games are driven by online, real-time interactions. As a result, games are incredibly connective. People from all walks of life can assume new identities and work together to complete a common objective.

Consistent teamwork builds strong friendships, even among strangers. People bond over mutual interests. By default, all of the users have a mutual interest – the game itself. There are even communities for single-player and offline games, which reside in forums and social media.

This is a huge benefit for gamers with disabilities as well. Not only do they enjoy a safe space to have fun (the game itself), but they also have an opening to make friends and join social groups. All of this is possible to do from home, most often times for free.

Video games bring friendship, activities, and entertainment directly into homes for children and adults alike. For those who can only leave the house with a great deal of effort, this reality (or, rather, virtual reality) is life-changing. In particular, individuals with disabilities are given new opportunities for fun and mental stimulation.

Google’s New Accessibility Projects

By Russ Ewell

On October 21, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

Google has recently unveiled 3 separate efforts to bring technology to those with disabilities to help make their daily lives easier and more accessible. The three projects are Project Euphonia, which aims to help those with speech impairments; Live Relay, which assists anyone who is hard of hearing; and Project Diva, which aims to give autonomy and independence to people with the help of Google Assist.

More than 15% of people in the United States live with a disability, and that number is only expected to grow in the years ahead as we grow older and start living longer. There has never been a better time to try to harness the power of our technology to help make the lives of the disabled more comfortable and fulfilling.

Project Euphonia

Project Euphonia aims to help those with speech difficulties caused by cerebral palsy, autism, and other developmental disorders, as well as neurologic conditions like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), stroke, MS (multiple sclerosis), Parkinson’s Disease, or traumatic brain injuries. Google’s aim with Project Euphonia is to use the power of AI to help computers understand speech that is impaired with improved accuracy, and then, in turn, use those computers to make sure everyone using the service can be understood.

Google has partnered with the ALS Residence Initiative and the ALS Therapy Development Institute to record voices of men and women with ALS, and have worked on optimizing algorithms that can help to transcribe and recognize their words more reliably.

Live Relay

Live Relay was set up with the goal of bringing voice calls to those who are deaf or hard of hearing. By using a phone’s own speech recognition and text-to-speech software, users will be able to let the phone listen and speak on their behalf, making it possible to speak to someone who is deaf or hard of hearing.

Google also plans to integrate real-time translation into their Live Relay software, allowing anyone in the world to speak to one another regardless of any language barrier.

Project Diva

Project Diva helps those who are nonverbal or suffer from limited mobility to give Google Assistant commands without needing to use their voice, but instead by using an external switch device.

The device is a small box into which an assistive button is plugged. The signal coming from the button is then converted by the box into a command sent to the Google Assistant.

For now, Project Diva is limited to single-purpose buttons, but they are currently devising a system that makes use of RFID tags which they can then associate with certain specific commands.

How AI is Improving Assistive Technology

By Russ Ewell

On October 1, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

Assistive technology is an AI-based solution that helps people and businesses save time and simplifies processes. Many businesses have adopted forms of assistive technology, such as automation, in their operations to increase efficiency. Ultimately, automation and robotics are becoming more sophisticated and are playing an increasing role in the workplace in many operations. However, a lesser-known function for AI is how it is improving and advancing assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.

AI for Medicinal Purposes

One of the areas where AI has developed rapidly is the medical industry, as physicians can now track patients through electronic medical devices. Smart devices are helping save lives by alerting medical professionals in emergency situations. AI-based devices can track heart rate, blood pressure, and many other physical processes of patients. Robots can be programmed to assist individuals with disabilities with certain tasks like making emergency calls or reminding a patient to take medication.

Communicative Assistance

Many new developments are in the works to help improve communication among individuals with disabilities. A highly accurate device that converts sign language into text or voice makes communication easier between those with and without hearing impairments. A 3D camera tracking body movement is also revolutionizing the possibilities of AI. Assistive technology can potentially change someone’s life at a personal and professional level.

Smart Glasses and Hearing Aids

Some of the innovations on the horizon for assistive technology include smart glasses and cognitive hearing aids. Augmented reality glass enhances a certain component of sight, developed by Google, which has been working on smart glass projects throughout the decade. Cognitive hearing aids that track brain waves are now on display at Columbia University School of Engineering.

Other AI Applications

There are several other AI applications in the medical industry, many of which relate to wearables. University of Houston researchers are currently testing a biofeedback rehabilitation wearable, which consists of a belt made of vibrating actuators. These actuators are sensors that map out real-movement of the individual wearing the belt. By collecting and analyzing data on a daily basis, the system can monitor behaviors associated with Parkinson’s Disease.

Assistive learning is focused on improving the quality of life for individuals with a variety of disabilities. Innovative ideas ushered in by AI technology allow for a growing range of solutions that these individuals did not experience prior to the development of wearables. In the future, we expect many new opportunities for assistive technology advances with the help of AI devices.

Assistive Technology in the Classroom

By Russ Ewell

On September 11, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

According to statistics of organizations that represent people with disabilities, one out of nine children under the age of 18 in the United States needs to receive special education attention. It has been reported that the number of students with disabilities has risen by over 30% over the last ten years.

Special assistive technology in classrooms is highly essential to enable these students to learn as seamlessly as possible. Here are four of the most essential assistive technologies used in learning institutions for students with disabilities across the country.

Text-to-speech tools

The text-to-speech assistive technology is software designed to enable students or children with reading-related disabilities to learn. This software is suitable for children with disabilities such as visual impairment that prevents them from seeing and reading effectively. Additional students that can benefit from TTS software include children with autism, intellectual disabilities, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Draft:Builder

Draft:Builder is a writing aid tool that enables children with disabilities to comprehend writing-related tasks in the classroom. This tool enables students to visualize classwork material and thereafter insert the necessary information in template form. Draft:Builder helps students to conceptualize the entire process of learning through definite steps that are easy to memorize. The visible steps allow students to engage more of their senses for assistance with memorizing and learning class materials. The software is used for students with intellectual-based disabilities.

FM Systems

FM Systems are built for children who have sensorineural hearing loss that is commonly linked to hearing impairments. The technology has the teacher use a special transmitter microphone to relay coursework to the student wearing a receiver. The receiver then amplifies the teacher’s voice into the ears of the student. The FM System is designed to enable students to hear clearly, irrespective of surrounding noises, distance, and background noise.

Math tools

For students with visual impairments, learning mathematics can be quite challenging. Various math-related tools, like Matt Talk, allow students with these disabilities to speak through a microphone into a program that then transforms the voice into actual writing. Math Simulations is another math tool that is suitable for students with dyscalculia, a learning disability to makes it difficult for them to comprehend arithmetic-related tasks. It is designed to enable students with visual and intellectual disabilities to visualize math concepts for better understanding.

Navigate the City with These Assistive Technologies

By Russ Ewell

On September 9, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

Modern technology is empowering people to make simple changes to the way they live. For instance, voice-activated commands have become a common way for consumers to shop and self-driving cars are making their way into the general population. However, these innovations aren’t nearly as astonishing as the technology that’s empowering individuals with disabilities to live more efficient lifestyles – especially those who live in bustling cities.

It’s harder for people with disabilities to make trips outside of their homes. Consequently, the assistive technology business is a growing industry that’s set on changing the lives of people with disabilities by helping them get around their cities. This list gives a synopsis of the way technology is evolving to help the handicapped find accessibility in their cities.

Walking Stick of the Future: Visual impairments make living in a crowded and busy city extremely difficult. Imagine moving along a busy intersection without relying on the use of eyesight for guidance. Engineers from Young Guru Academy (YGA) in Turkey have developed a smart walking stick – the WeWalk Stick. This technology uses voice navigation to guide the user. It’s integrated with Google maps to help the user with navigation, and it warns the user with vibrations when the stick is approaching objects above chest height

Robotic Suit: A brilliant innovation in mobility is making marathon racing possible for people with disabilities. This exomuscular robotic suit has sensors that help control its movements and adds a layer of artificial muscle to support stability and mobility. A robotic suit sounds like it would weigh a ton, but this innovation weighs just 11 pounds.

Wheelchair That Climbs: A new innovation in handicapped assistance is set to become available by the end of 2019 – the Scewo. For individuals living in or outside of the city who have a physical disability, stairs are an unavoidable obstacle. It’s hard to imagine staying on the ground level when there’s a horizon of sky rises. Luckily, developers of the wheelchair technology created a wheelchair capable of facing a variety of terrains, including stairs.

These machines and the technology that powers them have the ability to dramatically change the lives of individuals with physical disabilities. While these innovations are relatively expensive, this technology is just becoming available to the public and this growth will come to more affordable options for all. It is hopeful that this technology will continue to grow at this rapid pace and soon navigating a city with a physical disability will not be a daunting task.

Speech Technology For People With Nonverbal Autism Russ Ewell

VocaliD: Speech Technology for People with Nonverbal Autism

By Russ Ewell

On August 13, 2019

In Blog, Russ Ewell

Close to 25% of all people with Autism are considered nonverbal. These individuals rely on gestures and movements or minimal vocabulary to communicate with others. As one can imagine, this comes with a series of challenges as well as social barriers for people with Autism. Many parents report that their child with Autism has experienced bullying at school due to their lack of communication.

In this technological era, there are copious technologies that offer automated voice assistance from a touch-screen device. An iPad now offers applications that show pictures of objects and, when clicked on, will project the word in a robotic voice. However, the personalization is still lacking from this technology, which can cause emotional distress for an individual with nonverbal Autism. Luckily, VocaliD founder Rupal Patel has a solution.

VocaliD is a new technology that combines the individual’s real voice with that of a ‘voice donor’ in their database. This combination provides the individual with nonverbal Autism with a unique pseudo-voice personalized to match their own. Patel’s technology starts by capturing a recording of the individual saying a word or syllable. From there, Patel’s database full of tens of thousands of voice donors filters by factors like age, gender, and regional dialect. Pitch and volume of the recipient’s natural vocals are also considered when matching with a donor.

The goal of this technology is not to provide just a voice to individuals with nonverbal Autism – this is available through many different applications and technologies. The goal is instead to give the individual a unique and clear voice that is representative of their real personality. The psychological benefits of achieving this goal are immaculate.

Patel has found that most individuals who own this assistive technology can show hesitation in utilizing them. This could be because the voice cannot be completely personalized. Two individuals using the same technology will likely have the same “voice” regardless of their age, gender, or background. This naturally discourages people, especially children, from using their assistive technology for fear of being made fun of or misunderstood.

With VocaliD, Patel and the other developers hope that the utilization of the technology could also encourage children and adults with nonverbal Autism to become more verbal over time. There is evidence that suggests that children who use technology for speech assistance regularly will learn to form and say words in their own voices.

While this technology is still very new, the promise of personalized assistance to children and adults with any form of Autism is an inspiring step in the right direction.

Spotlight On Disability Positive Companies John’s Crazy Socks (4)

How Apps are Helping People with Autism

By Russ Ewell

On July 31, 2018

In Blog

Technology is improving day in and day out, and with that comes the power to transcend just silly games, instant messaging, and social media. With that comes the power to actually make a change and use apps to help people access the world in different ways. They can be used as both an accessibility resource and a research to keep children learning in ways that work for them. A predominance of these apps focuses on helping children with autism practice skills in an encouraging and fun one. Here are a couple examples of those apps for the iPhone, iPad, and Android:

Autism iHelp

Autism iHelp is an aid that teaches vocabulary words and includes 72 photographs paired with vocabulary words and learning enhancement activities. These activities are presented as games in order to focus on retention and auditory and visual memory. The app was developed through the collaboration of a speech-language pathologist and the parents of a child with autism.

Upper Case–Autism Series

This app is specifically meant for Android opposed to iPhone and iPad. The app provides coloring pages that help children learn the alphabet, and is specifically designed for younger children and toddlers.

Autism and PDD Concepts Lite

This iPad and iPhone app offer a wide range of stories and corresponding questions. It aims to increase reading comprehension and understanding.

Autism Aid App

This app, as well, is only available for Android and has been received with quite high ratings from users. It has a number of functions. It allows families to seek out help in case of an emergency, it helps children on the autism spectrum develop their communication skills, and lastly, it brings attention to external services available for both children with autism and their families.

Articulation Station

Articulation Station was created by a certified speech-language pathologist and helps children learn how to speak and pronounce words and sounds. The words being tuned are paired with high-quality images in order to engage in multiple modes of learning, as well as fun activities and games to keep your children engaged.

See.Touch.Learn.

This app focuses on the importance of visual instruction, a way which particularly benefits many people with autism. This app has thousands of picture based flashcards and exercises built off of them, and also includes the ability to create custom lessons and to expand the library of flashcards once a set has been mastered.

Assitive Technology and Autism

By Russ Ewell

On February 26, 2018

In Blog

Evolving over decades, technology has changed the way society functions. From advanced features in homes such as a refrigerator that plays music to a vacuum that roams your home all on its own. In addition to lifestyle convince, technology has had a huge impact in advancing the way we communicate and learn– particularly in the area of developmental skills with those who have disabilities. In a growing trend, technology is a tool used to enhance how students learn in school.

About 1 in 68 children are identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This developmental disability can affect speech, language, cognitive learning, and more.

When technology first emerged for children, many parents were skeptical (and many still are) to allowing their children time with technology. Mindless video games and television shows seemed to have no educational value to their children, thus only wasting their time. In efforts to utilize this advanced power, teachers and engineers have drastically changed the idea of wasteful technology– enter what is called “assistive technology”.

For individuals with autism, developmental skills and communication are a challenge. Through assistive technology, someone on the autism spectrum can have improved quality of life. The Autism Speaks’ Innovative Technology for Autism Initiative (ITA) advocates to adapt and promote technology in order to positively impact individuals with autism

One of the common forms of technology for individuals with autism are PDAs. Personal Digital Assistants have come a long way since their creation. They are popular among businessmen and entrepreneurs, but are also a great tool for people on the autism spectrum. PDAs allow individuals to stay organized and on top of their schedule. A PDA eases frustration of an individual with autism by allowing them to be more independent and keeping track of their activities. PDAs provide reminders to move from one task to another, without the need of human interaction.

Many people with autism prefer computer interaction over human communication. Assistive devices create a world where they feel less anxious and reduced frustration for easier human communication. Think of a basic cell phone. People carry their phones everything. From cameras and calendars to speed dial and contacts, cell phones allow for easy functionality with everyday tasks. Quick phone calls or text messages make communicating through cell phones convenient and less stressful than in-person contact at times.

Another form of assistive technology that individuals with autism favor are ipads and mobile devices. Applications are readily downloadable with interactive games. Beyond general gaming, apps can help track migraines, seizures, sleep, medications and more. Apps can assist with cognitive development, behaviors/cues, and communication.

Assistive technology is a digital tool that improves cognitive learning and communication for individuals with autism. More importantly, it creates and builds confidence. These tools help people with autism navigate social situations. Thanks to technology, we are able to bridge a gap between typically developing children, and children on the autism spectrum.