What factors should you consider when getting Assistive technology for a person who has led a life of good health before becoming disabled? Adopting the same approach used for a person who has been disabled from birth is not going to work. For starters, a person who has lived a healthy life will be used to being independent.
On the other hand, a person who has always remained disabled will be resigned to the fact that he or she will always need care. In such a scenario, even the smallest level of independence will please the latter. However, a person who has enjoyed good health in the past will not be satisfied very easily.
The first complication arises when family members decide to go in for Assistive technology without consulting the disabled individual. This is obviously going to create problems. If you want the individual to enjoy more independence, the first step is to create a change in your attitude and approach.
The person should be given the freedom to make the choices. Of course, those things that the person cannot handle on his or her own will be the responsibility of family members. The disabled individual will use Assistive technologies. Hence, this choice should rest with the disabled.
In the past, people had no option but to proceed on their own because getting the disabled individual to check out different technologies and equipment was very difficult. However, the web has simplified matters today. All one has to do is log on to the internet and one can check out a large number of technologies and equipments without even stepping out of the house.
This will herald the beginning of the rebirth of the individual. As he or she becomes more independent, the negative impact of the disability will automatically come down. It is just a question of time before technology replaces the lost faculties of the disabled individuals.
