Aids & Assistive Devices
Aids and assistive devices are the supporting devices used by persons with disabilities in improving their quality of life in terms of mobility, communication and for performing their daily activities. By use of these Aids & assistive devices, people with disabilities becomes independent and their participation in the society increases.
- Mobility Aids: Devices that help people move within their environment, electric or manual wheelchairs, modifications of vehicles for travel, scooters, crutches, canes and walkers.
- Alternative and augmentative communication devices (AAC): These devices help people with speech impairments or person having low vocal volume to communicate such as speech generating devices, voice amplification aids and communication software. For visually impaired person, devices as magnifier, Braille or speech output devices, large print screens, closed circuit television for magnifying documents, etc.
- Aids for Daily Living: Which covers self-help aids for use in activities such as eating, bathing, cooking, dressing, toileting, home maintenance, etc. These include modified eating utensils, adapted books, pencil holders, page turners, dressing aids, adapted personal hygiene aids.
- Home/workplace modifications: structural adaptations that remove or reduce physical barriers such as ramps, lifts, modification in the bathroom to make it accessible, automatic door openers and expanded doorways etc.
- Seating and Positioning: Adapted seating, cushions, standing tables, positioning belts, braces and wedges to maintain posture, and devices that provide body support to help people perform a range of daily tasks.
- Prosthetic and Orthotics: Replacement or augmentation of body parts with artificial limbs or other orthotics aids such as splints or braces. There are also prosthetic to assist with cognitive limitations or deficits, including audio tapes or pagers (that function as s or reminders).
- Vehicle Modifications: Adaptive driving aids, hand controls, wheelchair and other lifts, modified vans, or other motor vehicles used for personal transportation.
- Sensory aids for vision/hearing impaired: such as magnifiers, large print screens, hearing aids, victualing systems, Braille and speech/telecommunication output devices;
- Computer Access Aids: Headsticks, light pointers, modified or alternate keyboards, switches activated by pressure, sound or voice, touch screens, special software, voice to text software that enable persons with disabilities to use a computer. This category includes speech recognition software.
- Recreational aids to enable participation in social/cultural events and sports: Devices to enable participation in sports, social, cultural events which includes audio design for movies, adaptive controls for video games etc
- Environmental Controls: Electronic systems that help people control various appliances, switches for telephone, TV, or other appliances which are activated by pressure, eyebrows or breath