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This is a government based article about disability’s and how to pay for funding that is associated with the assistive technology a client needs. The website breaks funding resources up into categories like state and local, government programs, and has funding guides for users. It is a helpful document because it has a lot of important information all in one place that could be of use to someone exploring ways to pay for their AT device. This could also be a beneficial website and resource for occupational therapists when they are working with clients and finding the right AT device to fit the client’s lifestyle.

This was a cool find that related to this unit on funding of assistive technology devices. It talks about a communications device that is Apple related that just got approved to be covered by Medicare. The Com Link ProSlate 10 is an ACC device advertised by an Ohio business called Forbes Rehab Services Custom Solution to be a speech generating device that can be paid for with Medicare. I think this is a huge advancement in the world of assistive technology and occupational therapy because iPads can help a lot of individuals, but are not always covered in terms of funding from outside sources. It is important to consider the devices we are recommending to clients because of the cost associated with them.

This article is from the Assistive Technology Blog. It was an interesting blog post because it has a slideshow of the cities in the world with the most accepting environments for wheelchair users and what tourist attractions have to offer for wheelchair users. In the US, it talked about Portland, Oregon and JFK Airport in New York, as being an easy place for wheelchair users to access. There are many other places around the world that are being made more accessible for wheelchair users. This is important for us to consider as occupational therapists because if we are working with clients who are wheelchair users, we need to help them learn how to navigate around the city and inform them of places that may not be the best to visit due to poor wheelchair accessibility. I liked that this blog had an article talking about this because it can help bring awareness to the public and it advocates for wheelchair users.

This new Mobi-Chair was designed by a family owned business and opens up a whole new option for wheelchair users. The arm rests and wheels are made of floating material and the other materials are made to be corrosion free, UV resistant, and ventilated for quick drying. The chair can be disassembled in 5 to 10 minutes without the use of any tools. I like this chair would be great for someone who loves to go to the beach and wants to keep perusing that occupation even with a disability. Although this chair would be great to have, it is pricey at $2139. I also think this chair could be a problem for someone who would be scare of falling in the water and not being able to keep themselves above water. It would be a concern to use with someone who has no mobility of their legs or arms in case they fell out somehow.

This was a great article also found on zite that supports some of the many reasons why assistive technology is so important to people with special needs. It talks about a school on the Middle East in which all the students use some form of assistive technology. One of the teachers of the school mentioned how it gave her students back the control they had lost before the AT was introduced. The AT allows the students to be more independent and not rely on the teaching staff for as much help. The students at this school used low and high tech AT devices, but all had the same result on the students. This a great article showing the importance of AT in the lives of people with special needs. As occupational therapists it is important for us to stay on top of the types of AT and how to implement them with our clients because it makes a huge impact on their independence when you can find the right AT device. 

I found this article on zite. It talks about how October is AAC Awareness Month and how important it is to raise awareness in the right way! Some of the ways to help raise awareness include running an event at school or your workplace or volunteering with events that are nearby you. The article also has a poster made about how to make good posters when raising awareness. I think this article was very fitting since we just started the month of October and it is the topic for our next unit in class. As occupational therapists, it is our job to be advocate for our clients and the devices they might use to help them become more functional in their daily tasks. 

This Boomer foot mouse is a wireless device that works on all computers or tablets. It still has all the functions of a traditional mouse without having to use any hands at all. This would be a great product for someone who has no use of their upper extremity or if it is very weak which doesn’t allow for coordinated movements. This could especially be helpful with people who have experienced amputations of both of their upper extremities. Introducing this new way to navigate a computer will require a lot of training and practice to get the correct movements down especially since it is not the traditional way of operating a computer. 

The Swiftpoint mouse is a great alternative to a normal mouse with the combined feature of having a touch pad. The mouse allows a user to still use all the required movements all in one small device. It also allows users to scroll, zoom, and navigate between pages. The wireless device lasts up to 2-4 weeks between charges and it light weight which is a plus for transporting the device. it requires fine motor skills because the design mimics the way a person would hold a pen or pencil. It requires low ROM however, which would help people who aren’t able to use a lot of UE movements. 

This is a unique design for a mouse. It works just like a pen would and also includes all the standard mouse functions. It has a wireless connection that works up to 10 meters away and has a power save mode when it doesn’t sense any motion. This new mouse is relatively cheap and only cost $49. Some of the pros to this mouse is its slender design which helps when people carry it around. It also is very easy to use and set up. The down fall to this mouse is that it requires a lot of fine motor skills which is a big problem for a lot of clients when looking for alternative mice. If a client has good motor control, but low ROM, this would be a good mouse for them.