The Importance of an Assistive Technology Evaluation
If you are an individual living with a disability, the benefits of assistive technology
(AT) can be enormous. The possibilities have never been greater, but sorting through
all the options can be overwhelming.
The purpose of an individual assistive technology evaluation is to:
- Assess your circumstances, your functional strengths and weaknesses, and the tasks you need to do, and determine the assistive technology, if any, that is most suitable for you.
- Plan a strategy for you to learn and use the recommended assistive technology, and make sure it will fit it into your lifestyle.
To achieve these objectives, the Kornreich Center will provide individual AT evaluations to adults and children with a wide range of disabling conditions. The evaluation is a process of matching your needs and preferences with appropriate assistive technology.
To make informed choices, you need firsthand experience. There’s only so much
you can learn from a catalog description, or even from a demonstration by someone
who sells a product. During evaluation, you get hands-on experience with a variety
of devices, so you can select things you will actually use.
You'd be surprised how much AT is gathering dust in the back of people’s clo
s! Maybe there’s a device or two in your closet . There's not necessarily
anything wrong with the devices themselves. You're probably not using them because:
- The match is poor. The device does wonderful things, but not what you really need done. Or the device may be too complicated to up... or learn.or operate... or maintain.
- Insufficient planning. Maybe your desk is so high that when you put the device on it, you can't use it effectively. Or it's not compatible with the computers in your office. Or any of a thousand other details that interfere with day-to-day use.
- Insufficient follow-through. You bought the device and it arrived in a box for you to start using — with no training or support. So you never learned how to make it do all the terrific things it can do.
With the help of an experienced assistive technology evaluator, you can foresee these pitfalls, and minimize their effect, or avoid them entirely. Sometimes you need to make compromises between one of your goals and another — but you’ll make them with eyes open. The evaluator’s expertise lies not just in knowing about assistive technology products, it's in knowing "real people" who've used the products and in helping you benefit from their experience.
If you would like more information about the assistive technology evaluations offered by the Kornreich Technology Center, go to our referral procedures, forms, fees page or contact us.
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