R OLE OF I NFORMATION AND C OMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN LIFE OF P ERSONS WITH L OCOMOTOR D ISABILITY Dr. Dharmendra Kumar Director Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute for the Physically Handicapped, 4 – Vishnu Digamber Marg New Delhi

I NFORMATION & C OMMUNICATION T ECHNOLOGY (ICT) ICT REFERS TO TECHNOLOGIES THAT PROVIDE ACCESS TO INFORMATION THROUGH TELECOMMUNICATIONS. IT IS OFTEN USED AS AN EXTENDED SYNONYM FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT), BUT IS A MORE SPECIFIC TERM THAT FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES. THIS INCLUDES THE INTERNET, WIRELESS NETWORKS, CELL PHONES, AND OTHER COMMUNICATION MEDIA.

I NFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY I NFORMATION T ECHNOLOGY IS AN UMBRELLA TERM THAT INCLUDES INFORMATION, ADAPTIVE, AND REHABILITATIVE DEVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ALSO INCLUDES THE PROCESS USED IN SELECTING, LOCATING, AND USING THEM. I T PROMOTES GREATER INDEPENDENCE BY ENABLING PEOPLE TO PERFORM TASKS THAT THEY WERE FORMERLY UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, OR HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY ACCOMPLISHING, BY PROVIDING ENHANCEMENTS TO, OR CHANGING METHODS OF INTERACTING WITH, THE TECHNOLOGY NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH TASKS.

ICT FOR P ERSONS WITH D ISABILITIES PROVIDES ENHANCEMENTS TO OR CHANGED METHODS OF INTERACTION WITH WORLD. PROMOTES GREATER INDEPENDENCE BY ENABLING THEM TO PERFORM TASKS THAT THEY WERE FORMERLY UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, OR HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY ACCOMPLISHING.

E MPOWERMENT OF P ERSONS WITH D ISABILITIES THROUGH ICT  COST EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGIES  AUGMENTATION OF HUMAN RESOURCE ORIENTED TECHNOLOGIES  USER FRIENDLY AND DURABLE AIDS & APPLIANCES  ALL THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT A COMMON PLACE

ICT AS A SSISTIVE T ECHNOLOGY (AT) THE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY ACT OF 2004 DEFINES AN ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY DEVICE AS “ANY ITEM, PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, OR PRODUCT SYSTEM, WHETHER ACQUIRED COMMERCIALLY, MODIFIED, OR CUSTOMIZED, THAT IS USED TO INCREASE, MAINTAIN, OR IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL CAPABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.” IN OTHER WORDS, ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IS A DEVICE OR SERVICE THAT HELPS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY IN HIS OR HER DAILY ACTIVITIES.

ICT AS A SSISTIVE T ECHNOLOGY (C ONTINUED....) INCLUDES LOW-TECH OR HIGH-TECH TOOLS AND STRATEGIES THAT MATCH A PERSON’S NEEDS, ABILITIES, AND TASKS. ENABLES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO BUILD ON THEIR ABILITIES AND PARTICIPATE AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE AT HOME, SCHOOL, WORK AND IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SELECTION OF APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AS PER INDIVIDUAL CASE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY MOUTH STICK - A DEVICE THAT ENABLES USERS TO CONTROL INPUT THROUGH A STICK THAT THEY MANIPULATE WITH THEIR MOUTH. HEAD WAND - HEAD WANDS ARE VERY SIMILAR IN FUNCTION TO MOUTH STICKS, EXCEPT IN THIS CASE THE STICK IS STRAPPED TO THE HEAD.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY SINGLE - SWITCH ACCESS – FOR PEOPLE WITH VERY LIMITED MOBILITY. FOR INSTANCE, IF A PERSON CAN MOVE ONLY THE HEAD, A SWITCH COULD BE PLACED TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PERSON TO CLICK IT WITH HEAD MOVEMENTS. THIS CLICKING WOULD THEN BE INTERPRETED USING SPECIAL SOFTWARE.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY ADAPTIVE KEYBOARD - THERE ARE A WIDE RANGE OF ALTERNATIVE KEYBOARDS TO HELP MOTOR-IMPAIRED USERS INCLUDING COMPACT, EXPANDED, ERGONOMIC, ON-SCREEN, CONCEPT, RUBBER AND ABC KEYBOARDS.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY OVERSIZED TRACKBALL MOUSE - A TRACKBALL MOUSE HAS THE ROLLERBALL ON TOP RATHER THAN UNDERNEATH THE MOUSE. INSTEAD OF MOVING THE MOUSE TO CONTROL MOVEMENT, ONE MOVES THE ROLLERBALL. SOME USERS FIND THIS EASIER TO CONTROL. EYE TRACKING - EYE TRACKING DEVICES CAN BE A POWERFUL ALTERNATIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH NO CONTROL, OR ONLY LIMITED CONTROL, OVER THEIR HAND MOVEMENTS. THE DEVICE FOLLOWS THE MOVEMENT OF THE EYES AND ALLOWS THE PERSON TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THE WEB WITH ONLY EYE MOVEMENTS.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE - VOICE RECOGNITION PROGRAMS ENABLE THE USER TO ENTER TEXT AND, IN SOME CASES, CARRY OUT COMMON COMPUTER TASKS SIMPLY BY SPEAKING INTO A MICROPHONE – THAT IS, WITHOUT HAVING TO USE A KEYBOARD OR A MOUSE. IN CASE OF TEXT ENTRY, THE COMPUTER ANALYSES THE USER'S VOICE, TRIES TO RECOGNIZE THE WORDS, AND TYPES THEM - INSTEAD OF THE USER - AS HE OR SHE SPEAKS.

A SSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES AVAILABLE FOR PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY "STICKY KEYS" - A METHOD OF TYPING WHERE MODIFIER KEYS, SUCH AS SHIFT, CONTROL, COMMAND, AND ALT/OPTION, WILL "STICK" DOWN AND APPLY TO THE NEXT KEYSTROKE, SO THAT ONLY ONE KEY NEEDS TO BE PRESSED AT A TIME. THIS IS EXTREMELY USEFUL FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO PRESS COMBINATIONS OF KEYS. "SLOW KEYS" - A KEYBOARD FEATURE THAT PREVENTS KEYSTROKES FROM REGISTERING UNTIL A KEY HAS BEEN HELD DOWN FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. THIS IS EXTREMELY USEFUL FOR PEOPLE WITH MOTOR IMPAIRMENTS THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO TARGET KEYS ACCURATELY OR THAT CAUSE UNPREDICTABLE MOTION.

P ERSON WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY USING ADAPTED KEYBOARD AND MOUSE

M OUNTING THE DEVICE TO THE WHEELCHAIR OF A CHILD WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY FACILITATES HER EDUCATION

T HE YOUNG GIRL WITH NO ARMS AT ALL WORKING ON A COMPUTER WHICH HAS A SPECIAL SWITCH DEVICE, ALLOWING HER TO EASILY PERFORM MOUSE FUNCTIONS USING HER SHOULDER WITH JUST ONE CLICK

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (AT) BASED ON ICT CAN ENABLE YOUNG CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY IN PLAY, COMMUNICATION, LEARNING AND OTHER MEANINGFUL ACTIVITIES

A PERSON WITH AMPUTATION OPERATING LAPTOP

MOBILITY DEVICES

P ERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS THE PERSON WITH A MANUAL DEXTERITY DISABILITY CAN MAKE CHOICES ON A TOUCH SCREEN WITH A HEAD DAUBER. PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMSPERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS OR TELECARE ARE A PARTICULAR SORT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY THAT USE ELECTRONIC SENSORS CONNECTED TO AN ALARM SYSTEM TO HELP CAREGIVERSTELECARE THESE ALERTS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO THE PARTICULAR PERSON'S RISKS. WHEN THE ALERT IS TRIGGERED, A MESSAGE IS SENT TO A CAREGIVER OR CONTACT CENTER WHO CAN RESPOND APPROPRIATELY.

THANK YOU INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY HAS PROVED TO BE A BLESSING FOR THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.