Commitment from technology companies vital for assistive technology users

By Stuart Lawler, Business Development Manager, Sight and Sound Technology Ireland

Assistive technology (AT) changes lives. It gives people with disabilities access to the technology they need to preform everyday tasks, thrive in school, go to college and excel in employment. But it’s a huge area, encompassing everything from simple, low-tech solutions to really sophisticated, high-tech devices and finding the right solution can be difficult in such a wide field. Add to that that technology needs don’t remain static, rather changing as our lives and circumstances change, and it can become mind-boggling.

Why technology companies are vital for assistive technology users

Only one in 10 people who require AT have access to it. 1 This is partly driven by a lack of consistency in access and support, which has led to gaps in understanding and take up. So how do we streamline the experience for users? FreedomTech is a not-for-profit organisation with that focus as its mission. FreedomTech created CHAT (Community Hub for Accessible Technology) – a 200-strong user-focused space where people can learn from each other and identify gaps and challenges in assistive technology. CHAT allows not only end users to learn about AT, but also developers, academics, therapists, service providers and healthcare professionals.

We in industry have a role to play in improving the landscape for AT users, and not just through our product development, although that is critical. The peer support and learning network offered by CHAT is vital but it’s not sustainable without support and the tech industry is a natural partner. Collaborating at this level means that we can close some of the gaps in understanding on what AT is and how impactful it can be. It also means that we can listen to users and learn from their experiences, gaining a better understanding of their needs and reflecting that in our product offering.

We have a responsibility to do more than
sell technology; we must provide the ongoing support necessary to ensure that the
technology we know has the power to transform lives, actually does so.
Mainstream technology companies have made huge strides in their commitment to AT users in the last 10 years, enabling people to use a mix of both out-of-the-box accessible mainstream products and specific AT products. In AT we have seen developments in wearable technology for people with sight loss that, while relatively new, shows the potential for innovative solutions.

As an AT user myself, this is an exciting time. It’s up to our industry to make it so for all AT users – to remove barriers, improve access and provide life-long support that ensures the user’s continued success throughout their lives.

Stuart Lawler is Business Development Manager with Sight and Sound Technology Ireland. Sight and Sound is an assistive technology company with 40 years of experience in the UK and opened their first Irish office one year ago.
1 WHO figures state that less than 1 in 10 people who need AT can access AT
https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/assistive-technology

See the latest news from Irish Tech News here.

More information about Irish Tech News and the Business Showcase

FYI the ROI for you is => Irish Tech News now gets over 1.5 million monthly views, and up to 900k monthly unique visitors, from over 160 countries. We have over 860,000 relevant followers on Twitter on our various accounts & were recently described as Ireland’s leading online tech news site and Ireland’s answer to TechCrunch, so we can offer you a good audience!

Since introducing desktop notifications a short time ago, which notify readers directly in their browser of new articles being published, over 16000 people have now signed up to receive them ensuring they are instantly kept up to date on all our latest content. Desktop notifications offer a unique method of serving content directly to verified readers and bypass the issue of content getting lost in people’s crowded news feeds.

Drop us a line if you want to be featured, guest post, suggest a possible interview, or just let us know what you would like to see more of in our future articles. We’re always open to new and interesting suggestions for informative and different articles. Contact us, by email, twitter or whatever social media works for you and hopefully we can share your story too and reach our global audience.

Irish Tech News

If you would like to have your company featured in the Irish Tech News Business Showcase, get in contact with us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie or on Twitter: @SimonCocking