Design and Use of Assistive Technology

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

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2. The User’s Experience

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 21-21

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   2. Better Than New! Ethics for Assistive Technologists

      • Anita Silvers

      Pages 3-15

   3. The Myth of Neutral Technology

      • Jan Miller Polgar

      Pages 17-23

   4. Accessible Technology and Models of Disability

      • Richard E. Ladner

      Pages 25-31

   5. The Importance of Play: AT for Children with Disabilities

      • Albert M. Cook, Kim Adams

      Pages 33-39

   6. Need- and Task-Based Design and Evaluation

      • Albert M. Cook, Jan Miller Polgar, Nigel J. Livingston

      Pages 41-48

3. Research and Academic Outreach

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 69-69

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   2. Challenges to Effective Evaluation of Assistive Technology

      • Richard Simpson

      Pages 51-56

   3. Community Service in University Curricula

      • Nigel J. Livingston

      Pages 57-64

   4. Providing Innovative Engineering Solutions Between Academia and Industry

      • Brian E. Lewis, Yoky Matsuoka

      Pages 65-73

   5. Case Study: An Assistive Technology Ethics Survey

      • Peter A. Danielson, Holly Longstaff, Rana Ahmad, H. F. Machiel Van der Loos, Ian M. Mitchell, Meeko M. K. Oishi

      Pages 75-93

4. Development and Commercialization

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 115-115

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   2. The Fast Pace of New Emerging Information and Communication Technologies: The Need for Regulations and Standards

      • Gary E. Birch

      Pages 97-104

   3. Small Markets in Assistive Technology: Obstacles and Opportunities

      • Jaimie F. Borisoff

      Pages 105-113

5. Back Matter

   Pages 115-117

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Design and Use of Assistive Technology assesses major hurdles in the design and use of assistive technologies, while also providing guidelines and recommendations to improve these technologies. This volume takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving the major issues surrounding designing and using assistive technologies for the physically impaired by blending engineering, computer science and medicine. The most difficult problems in assistive technologies, such as privacy concerns in data gathering and analysis, inherent heterogeneity of the user population, knowledge transfer of novel technologies and incorporation of the user perspective into the design process are all addressed. The book also: -Presents theories on assistive technology through the lens of fields ranging from engineering and computer science to occupational therapy and neurology -Discusses assistive technologies in a broad scope that presents designs and theories that are universally applicable Design and Use of Assistive Technology features contributions from experts in their subject areas who discuss specific methods and mechanisms to integrate the user’s experience into design and clinical evaluation in order to both create academic outreach through practical service models and improve knowledge transfer.

• Assistive technology design
• Assistive technology usage
• Biomechanics
• Medical engineering
• assistive technology
• mechanics
• medicine

• , Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  Meeko Mitsuko K. Oishi

• Dept. Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  Ian M. Mitchell

• , Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  H. F. Machiel Van der Loos

Policies and ethics