LIBRARY
Facilitating Community Living With Assistive Technology
All of us choose to engage in a wide variety of community living activities throughout our day. We participate in these activities as part of our jobs, for enjoyment, to socialize with peers, or for leisure. Community living activities typically occur across a wide variety of environments, and incorporate many different persons.
Community activities provide opportunities for engaging in meaningful and productive employment activities, socialization with age peers, and integration into leisure activities. These activities enable children to develop new cognitive, social, motor, and communication skills. For adults, community activities provide a means of socializing with peers, participating in and attending recreational activities, and accessing needed services.
Community integration is often overlooked or de-emphasized when developing programs to assist an individual with a disability (Schleien, Meyer, Heyne, & Brandt, 1995). Access to community and leisure activities is not often included in educational or habilitation plans (Weunch & Voeltz, 1982).
The impact of the disability often requires that major features of the environment be altered to match an individual’s unique abilities. Assistive devices are frequently needed to compensate for physical, cognitive, or sensory impairments that prevent an individual from participating in leisure activities (Church & Glennan, 1992). Indeed, one of the principal purposes of assistive devices is to foster inclusion into community environments. Assistive technology has helped individuals move about and control aspects of their environment and participate in educational and vocational tasks (c.f., Lazzarro, 1993; Moon, Inge, Wehman, Brook, & Barcus, 1990). Assistive technology has also helped children with disabilities engage in leisure activities (Musselwhite, 1986).
Frequently, assistive technology devices are not provided due to anticipated high costs or a lack of available resources (Ripley, 1989). Although high technology is necessary in some cases, low-cost solutions are often available and can be implemented in a variety of community settings. An awareness of available assistive technology devices or knowledge of assistive technology solutions is a necessary first step in enabling individuals to participate in ongoing activities in home, work, and community settings.
A cursory review of typical community environments indicates that few typical settings are accessible for individuals with disabilities. Physical, communicative, and sensory aspects of the environment may prevent an individual with a disability from participating in desired activities. In order for individuals to become fully integrated into typical environments and have access to specific leisure activities, we must alter those features of the environment which present barriers to participation.
The following is a list of low-cost solutions for increasing access to four community leisure settings for persons with disabilities.
Libraries:
- Accessible computer systems
- Expanded keyboards
- Multiple access software program (e.g., Access DOS, one-finger typing computer program)
- Speech synthesis
- Scanning routines with switch access
- Trackballs, keyguards
- Accessible computerized card catalog systems
- Brailled/taped orientation guides
- Low-pile carpeting for wheelchair access
- Increased space between aisles
- Lower book shelves
- Brailled/picture labels on shelf guide
- Accessible tables near key locations (shelves, references desk)
- Drop-leaf tables for reading carrels
- Induction loop or telecoil microphones for TV, VCR, audio equipment
- High contrast colors on tile/carpeting for room-to-room transitions
Restaurants:
- Picture menu
- High contrast (black on white) menu
- Brailled or taped menu
- Large print menu
- Magnifiers
- Standardized place setting
- Providing sufficient space around tables for mobility
- Adaptive utensils/plates
- Adjustable chairs/tables
- Latch handles on doors/door openers
- Simple communication devices
- Communication options
- Simple picture communication systems
- Orthographic text/spelling boards
- Taped messages
- Voice output devices
Hotels:
- Alerting devices in all rooms (e.g., vibrating alarm clock, doorbell alert, phone alert)
- Enlarged keypads for phone
- Telecommunication devices (TTY/TDD)
- Adequate lighting (e.g., 3-way bulbs or touch sensitive lamps)
- Adjoining rooms for personal attendants
- Open spaces for wheelchair mobility
- Remote for TV, lights, air conditioning, or heating units
- Touch panel switches
- Accessible room located near high frequency use areas (lobby, restaurant, elevators)
- Touch panel/rocker light switches
- Raised/tactile map of hotel floor and room plan
- Textured difference between rooms, halls, entrances
- Detachable shower mounts
- Lever controlled sinks, shower, and doors
- Availability of trained staff as guides
- Phones in all rooms
- Braille labels for lights
- Low pile carpeting
Parks:
- Firm trails to/from equipment
- Seat belts/high backed seats for swings, etc.
- Adjustable height tables and benches
- Accessible tables (e.g., adjustable tables, tables without benches)
- Textured path with raised border
- Signals for level changes (e.g., grooved pavement, textured strips, rough surfaces)
- Curb cut access at key points
- Railings on paths
- Wheelchair ramps and loader
- Child seat for teeter-totter
- Braille/auditory signage
- Drive-up access
- Raised map of park layout
- Church, G., & Glennan, S. (1992). A handbook of assistive technology. San Diego: Singular Publishing.
- Lazzarro, J. J. (1993). Adaptive technologies for learning and work environments. Chicago: American Library Association.
- Moon, M.S., Inge, K. J.,Wehman, P., Brook, V., & Barcus, J. M. (1990). Helping persons with severe mental retardation get and keep employment: Supported employment strategies and outcomes. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
- Musselwhite, C. (1986). Adaptive play for special needs children. San Diego: College Hill Press.
- Ripley, S. (1989). Starting the funding process. NICHY News Digest, 2((1), 13-14.
- Schleien, S. J., Meyer, L. H., Heyne, L.A., & Brandt, B.B., (1995). Lifelong leisure skills and lifestyles for persons with developmental disabilities. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
- Weunch, B. B., & Voeltz, L.M. (1982). Longitudinal leisure skills for severely handicapped students. Baltimore: Paul H. Brooks Publishing Co.
The information contained in this paper was presented by M. J. Demetras and Larry Gallagher at the 1995 CSUN Technology for Persons with Disabilities Conference. The presentation of this paper included two formats: a verbal presentation of the above information and an interactive session with the audience. The interactive session was used to gather data on consumer use of recreation facilities including identification of the need for recreation facilities, the barriers that prevent or limit access to community environments, and potential solutions and resources that would facilitate increased community access. Copies of the Community Leisure Survey are available on request.
