There have been significant advances in technology in genera

There have been significant advances in technology in general - many of these advances have been of specific benefit to those with disabilities. Please choose one assistive technology device or process that benefits folks with disabilities and discuss how it is beneficial.

Solution

One very old assistive technology device for people with disabilities is the wheelchair. Wheelchairs are devices that can be manually propelled or electrically propelled and that include a seating system and are designed to be a substitute for the normal mobility that most people enjoy. Wheelchairs and other mobility devices allow people to perform mobility related activities of daily living which include feeding, toileting, dressing grooming and bathing. The devices comes in a number of variations where they can be propelled either by hand or by motors where the occupant uses electrical controls to manage motors and seating control actuators through a joystick, sip-and-puff control, or other input devices. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing or input devices for caregivers. Wheelchairs are used by people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, or disability. People with both sitting and walking disability often need to use a wheelchair or walker.

Types of wheelchair