Assistive Technology Shaping A Sustainable And Inclusive World

Caring about others and the future is part of what makes us human, and it can be argued that improving the lives of people with disabilities improves the lives of all human beings. Most of what we do as a society for people with disabilities also improves life for others, and if we consider a person’s entire life, a disability of some kind will affect almost everybody at some point. This book, Assistive Technology: Shaping a Sustainable and Inclusive World, presents the proceedings of AAATE 2023, the 17th International Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe, held in Aubervilliers, France, from 30 August to 1 September 2023. For over 30 years, the biennial AAATE conference has focused on research aimed at improving the lives of people with a disability, and has become one of the main platforms for all stakeholders in the field. A total of 123 papers were submitted in the category intended for publication in these conference proceedings, and after a rigorous process involving review by at least three international reviewers, 74 were selected for inclusion here. Topics covered include service delivery of AT; AT for various groups such as older adults, children, and those with cognitive disabilities; mobility; privacy and security issues; and AT to promote inclusion and facilitate participation in education, culture, and work. Providing a comprehensive and current overview, the book will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, manufacturers, decision-makers and providers, users of AT, and anyone else working in the field.

In the 21st century Assistive Technology (AT) should be defined as a scientific and technologic approach to the development of products and services oriented to support the elderly and people with disabilities in their daily activities, maximizing their personal autonomy, independence, health and quality of life.

The field of assistive technology is influenced by the ongoing and rapid development of mainstream technologies on the one hand and continuing changes to social systems in relation to societal events - such as the ageing of the population - on the other. The articles in this book provide a broad overview of developments in technical support for people with functional restrictions: key technologies like telecommunications and IT are addressed, while low-tech practical solutions are also considered.

This publication covers different themes in the field of assistive technology. The theme New technologies will explore the significant advances in technology research & development and how these can be harnessed to benefit people with disabilities. This will include evolving technologies, affording interesting insights into the future. The theme User Centred Approach will look at fundamental ways in which the EU advocate a philosophy of citizenship and governance and how this philosophy can be advanced to ensure that people with disabilities become central to the assistive technology process Another issue that is explored in this publication is Interdisciplinary Approaches which can be developed within assistive technology and the provision of services to people with disabilities. Finally, it concentrates on ways in which practitioners and users, working together within assistive technology, can achieve best practice in the development and implementation of Guidelines and Standards across a broad spectrum.

The lives of people with disabilities are complex and various, and there are many situations where technology – particularly assistive technology – already makes a real difference. It is clear that smart phone and tablet computer based solutions continue to enhance the independence of many users, but it is also important that more traditional assistive technologies and services are not forgotten or neglected. This book presents the proceedings of the 14th conference of the Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE 2017) entitled: ‘Harnessing the power of technology to improve lives’, held in Sheffield, UK, in September 2017. This 4-day event about assistive technologies (AT) highlights the association’s interest in innovating not only technology, but also services, and addresses the global challenge of meeting the needs of the increasing number of people who could benefit from assistive technology. The 200+ papers in the book are grouped under 30 subject headings, and include contributions on a wide range of topical subjects, including aging well and dementia; care robotics; eHealth and apps; innovations; universal design; sport; and disordered speech. The breadth of the AAATE conference reflects people’s life needs and so the book is sure to contain something of interest to all those whose work involves the design, development and use of assistive technology, whatever the situation. The photo on the front cover illustrates the breadth of assistive technologies that can improve lives. Photographer: Simon Butler.

An anthology that answers a need to understand design that supports the daily life of people with dementia. It intends to support the research and development around the topic of dementia in older people, which has stressed innovation, participation in the design process, as well as technical competence and the physical environment.

This volume looks at assistive technologies for people who have limited independence, and the concept of the smart home, where a user has several heterogeneous systems, providing multiple and complementary functionalities and forming a whole complex environment.