ROLE OF
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN LIFE OF
PERSONS WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY
Dr. Dharmendra Kumar
Director
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya
Institute for the Physically Handicapped,
4 – Vishnu Digamber Marg New Delhi - 110002
INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION
TECHNOLOGY (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.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 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 PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

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.
EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES 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 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY (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 ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
(CONTINUED....)

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
INDIVIDUAL CASE IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AS
PER
ASSISTIVE 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.
ASSISTIVE 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.
ASSISTIVE 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.
ASSISTIVE 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.
ASSISTIVE 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.
ASSISTIVE 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
IMPAIRMENTS
USEFUL
FOR
THAT
PEOPLE
MAKE
IT
WHO
HAVE
DIFFICULT
TO
MOTOR
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.
PERSON WITH LOCOMOTOR
DISABILITY
USING ADAPTED KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
MOUNTING THE DEVICE TO THE WHEELCHAIR OF A
CHILD WITH LOCOMOTOR DISABILITY FACILITATES
HER EDUCATION
THE
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
PERSONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS
PERSONAL EMERGENCY
RESPONSE
SYSTEMS OR TELECARE ARE
A PARTICULAR SORT OF
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
THAT USE ELECTRONIC
SENSORS CONNECTED TO AN
ALARM SYSTEM TO HELP
CAREGIVERS
THESE ALERTS CAN BE
CUSTOMIZED TO THE
PARTICULAR PERSON'S
RISKS.
THE PERSON WITH A MANUAL
DEXTERITY DISABILITY CAN MAKE
CHOICES ON A TOUCH SCREEN WITH
A HEAD DAUBER.
WHEN THE ALERT IS
TRIGGERED, A MESSAGE IS
SENT TO A CAREGIVER OR
CONTACT CENTER WHO CAN
RESPOND APPROPRIATELY.
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY HAS
PROVED TO BE A BLESSING FOR THE PERSONS WITH
DISABILITIES.
THANK YOU