AzTAP: AzTAP’s Initiative on Aging:Assistive Technology and Aging in Place

AzTAP\'s NEW INITIATIVE ON AGING: Assistive Technology

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Article 10 - Aging and the Future of Assistive Technology
Randy Collins M.Ed., Training and Outreach Coordinator
Arizona Technology Access Program (AzTAP)

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The advancement of all types of technology holds many promises for Americans as we mature. Assistive technology will make life easier, and the world more equal and accessible for us as we grow older. The question isn't so much what or even how, but how much. Assistive technology exists today that enables a person in a wheelchair equipped with tank treads to hike many of the trails throughout Arizona. As for the technology itself much of it is already here, but not yet commercially available for mass market. On the flip side, the advancement of some types of technology can make life more difficult for people with disabilities. Touch screen appliances for example, present a unique problem for people with vision impairment caused by macular degeneration. The complexity of technology itself is often a barrier to older Americans; it can be intimidating. Finally, there is the ever present issue of affordability. As you might imagine, "it ain't cheap".

Let's look at what the future can look like and then examine briefly the barriers we must overcome to make the future truly accessible to older Arizonans. Following are examples of assistive technology that already exist or soon will:

  • A controller woven into the fabric of clothes, or worn as a pin, that will turn our lights on and off as we enter and leave a room in our home, or will open doors automatically, and control the thermostat.
  • With a universal controller operated by hand or voice, a person can operate a microwave oven, a washer and dryer, a stove, thermostat, or any household appliance.
  • Household appliances that will read the bar code on most frozen meals and will cook them according to the directions on the package.
  • Computers that will function through voice recognition using natural language. It will not be necessary to use specific programs as it is now. By simply saying, "Make an appointment with the eye doctor for Wednesday at 3.00 PM", an appointment will be entered into your computer calendar.
  • Body monitors will automatically call an emergency number when a person falls.
  • A clipboard with a small microphone will enable hard of hearing people to hear better and understand conversation.
  • Laser guided canes for people who are blind.

The technology for all this assistive support and much more already exists. Some of it is now being mass produced and some of it will be in the future; as with any product, the greater the production the lower the cost. What we do not know is how large the demand will be. Though there is great need for assistive technology, there is not always great demand due a variety of issues. To this day even with the incredible developments in hearing aid technology,, most hearing aids rest, rarely used, in dresser drawers all across America! All of us must address the attitudinal barriers to new technology. As service providers, as specialists in the field of aging, and as present and future consumers of aging/disability related assistive technology the future truly will be of our own making. In England there are programs that specifically focus on the issues of aging and the acceptance of assistive technology. That is an idea worthy of consideration in Arizona.

For further information on the products that were discussed, contact:

This is the 10th in a series of articles designed to educate people about assistive technology and its benefits to older Arizonans. For more information, contact Randy Collins, Training and Outreach Coordinator for the Arizona Technology Access Program (AzTAP). Randy can be reached at 602.728.9533 Voice, 602.728.9536 TTY or toll free at 800.477.9921 Voice/TTY. The AzTAP website is Http://www.nau.edu/ihd/AzTap

Support for DES-AAA/NAU/AzTAP's collaborative project Assistive Technology and Aging in Place is provided by the NAHB Research Center's National Center for Seniors' Housing Research through a grant from the U.S. Administration on Aging. Reference to vendors does not imply endorsement by AzTAP, DES/AAA or NAHB.

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