Assistive Technology is defined as :
Any item, piece of equipment
or product system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or
customised that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of
individuals with disabilities.
Cook, A.M., & Hussey, S.M. (2002). Assistive technologies: principles and
practise. St Louis: Mosby
My interpretation of this
statement is that assistive technology is a collection of ‘clever’ gadgets that can be used to provide a better quality of
life for disabled people. They can range
from very inexpensive and simple to extremely expensive and elaborate.
This definition covers a
very wide range of devices for rehabilitation or education of disabled
individuals, from low (pencils and paper) to high technology (computers)
which may achieve the same outcome.
There are also hard (readymade) and soft technologies (human
knowledge) to facilitate successful device creation and use. Cook & Hussey (2002).
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Describe
one piece of equipment introduced in the assistive technology tutorial.
The assistive technology
device I have chosen is called: ‘Keys U See’.
This keyboard has
dimensions of 470mm x190mm x 38mm which is very similar to a conventional
keyboard and costs $135.00 GST incl.
The functions are very
LARGE BOLD lettering on the keys, internet keys for one touch internet and
email and media keys for one touch music and video control. These features will increase occupational
engagement for the user with typical age related eyesight issues and allow
participation for a longer period of time, particularly when combined with a
larger computer screen.
You tube clips:
This piece of assistive equipment will aid in overcoming occupational deprivation in the older generation through visual impairments caused by Macular Degeneratrion, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataracts and Age.
The other use for the large print keyboard is in schools
and the second clip shows it being marketed for kids as a bright colourful as
well as easy to read screen that may assist in reducing the stigma of poor
eyesight for a child by making it so bright and fun. This could be a form of occupational injustice, if the facility does not allow for the student to be engaged when there is a solution.
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Saturday, 28 April 2012
Tutorial Eight: Assistive Technology
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Tutorial Seven: Linking blogs of interest and exchanging comments
I have successfully made a Blog feed for my 5 chosen blogs and have posted a comment on a chosen interesting blog and received a communication back in return.
from: Tutorial Five: Video Production Sessions
from: Tutorial Five: Video Production Sessions
Tutorial Six: The internet and Online communities
Provide
the web addresses and a hyper links for the three online communities you have
chosen
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Provide
a brief description of each community
Age concern is a site specifically for serving the needs
of older people by offering nationally contracted services, education,
resources and national leadership.
Age Concern New Zealand serves to support, engage and
promote the organisation’s development and quality best practice. They advocate on policy and issues relevant
to older people and ageing. This site
is interactive, as you can link into many areas on the Home Page and navigate
to areas of interest. People can
contribute by their time, donations and grants to continue the work
serving the needs of older people. This is a not for profit,
volunteer-based, registered charity organisation. Individuals can contribute their expertise,
time or money if they so desire.
SeniorNet is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to providing
individuals 50 and over with access to computer technologies and the
education necessary to use them.
Their mission is to connect older adults with these technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom. The site is interactive, has a blog and links to other areas of interest for seniors.
Way 2 Age is an interactive online community focused on
healthy, creative aging. Their mission is to provide a venue for exploring
the rewards and challenges of the aging process. This site is interactive as it is possible
to navigate and find information linked to the site. Individuals can contribute or not as they
wish, play games and read blogs by other members.
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Consider
material presented in the online package.
Individuals may contribute to age concern to gain contacts
and meaningful occupation in their day if they donate their time to be a
volunteer visitor. Having access to
advocacy can be a comfort if feeling insecure and lonely.
Seniornet users may wish to interact with other users, find information and generally get help with learning about computer classes available. They
learn to touch up photos and send and receive them in email, to desktop
publish documents, write their autobiographies, manage personal and
financial records, communicate with others across the country and the
world and serve their communities.
Way 2 Age gets members to share stories, information,
jokes, hobbies, wisdom, research, poems, pictures and videos in order to
interact with like minded people around the world. They choose to contribute if they are
interested in a particular area.
Individuals accessing age concern may be seeking
information, education or companionship through contact with like minded
individuals in their age group.
Seniornet users are searching for ways to communicate and learn how online resources can assist and extend their lives. To have contact with the world and not be
isolated.
Way 2 Age community members are looking to extend their
horizons and enlarge their experiences at a time of life when they may feel
lonely and isolated.
Age concern will respond to requests for information by
individuals via a choice of email, mail or telephone.
Seniornet is providing information to members learn and teach others to use computers and communications technologies to accomplish a variety of tasks.
Way 2 Age is providing shared information through blog
sites and postings from members that belong to this community
The chosen site of Age concern and Way 2 age address the
occupation concepts of occupational transition that occurs in the elderly
population, they may have been previously involved in busy working lives and
upon retirement are looking for something to keep their minds active and
occupy their day. These sites may
assist with this.
Seniornet can address the concept of occupational deprivation through education and teaching the skills of computer use to this group in society. The only situation of occupational deprivation not addressed would be the cost of an initial set up for an individual, but they do provide connections to get the technology at better prices due to connections with wholesalers.
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Considering
material presented during the course and comment on the potential ethical
issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and
accountability.
As there is always the potential for incorrect or
potentially evasive information to be posted to online sites and blogs,
individuals must be aware that not all information should be taken at face
value and acted upon. There is very
little accountability and no real standards of practice to abide by. Most sites will remove offensive material,
but incorrect information may not be scrutinized. The elderly could me more susceptible to online scams due to online inexperience.
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Consider
material presented in the online package and comment on the benefits and
limitations these communities provide relate to traditional geographical
communities.
Benefits provided by these communities is that providing
the individual has the potential to use a computer and connect to the online
community it is always accessible 24 hours of the day, and as many elderly
have difficulty sleeping this could occupy some time at night when the
limitations of traditional communities bound by daylight hours are not accessible.
Limitations of these online communities are that while
providing occupational opportunities, they do not provide actual human contact and companionship. This
is a basic human need satisfied in a traditional community setting.
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Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Tutorial Five: Video Production Sessions
Music is part of human nature and all the residents seem to enjoy the music that is used when exercising group is in session, there is music in the chapel sessions and own choice music in the residents rooms. At special times of the year, e.g. Christmas carols were sung by local choirs which brings in a feeling of belonging to the wider world and brings the community feeling into the Rest home. Music is universal and part of the occupation of leisure.
On other occasions within this setting while the ladies were having foot spas we also gave them a manicure and painted their fingernails, this provides an image of self respect and personal pride in their appearance which assists in belonging to the group of women within the residence and linked into self cares and leisure time.
As each resident required to have their feet dried off from the spa bath, I performed a light massage
on the foot using the scented lotion, they felt as though they belonged to an exclusive pamper group. Feeling good about yourself is linked to the occupation of self cares and leisure.
While the residents were enjoying their sensory foot soaking I asked if they would like to have their hands massaged and they all were interested. I proceeded to use hand moisturizer to gently massage the pleasant smelling cream into each hand before moving on to the next client. This is an interest in self cares.
Within my Placement in a retirement village there were daily activities in the Recreation room. On a particular day the activity enjoyed by most individuals was Bingo but one small group of individuals were occupationally deprived from this due to an impairment of blindness. In order to occupy the group on this occasion I decided to set up a corner of the room for a small sensory session. This involved setting up foot spa baths for the individuals with lovely warm water and foot spa salts. The clients were seated in easy chairs and no longer felt excluded from the activities as they were participating in the gathering, could hear what the group were up to while enjoying the pampering session.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Tutorial Four: Video Production Sessions
We were set a task of creating a video about one of four concepts: being Occupational Justice, Occupational Disruption, Occupational Transition or Occupational Deprivation. Aldrin, Alisha, Jenny and I chose the subject of Occupational Disruption and set about describing our plan using a storyboard and scripting or planning our video with minimal props. Equipment was booked via email from the OT Office and the brief was the entire video had to be no longer than one minute.
The video portrays a student who has an accident on the stairs and falls requiring assistance to a first aid facility.
The outcome shows our student in a wheelchair struggling to access the upstairs classes. This sequence of events portrays Occupational disruption as defined by Christiansen and Townsend (2010).
"A Transient or temporary condition of
being restricted from participation in necessary or meaningful occupations,
such as that caused by illness, temporary relocation, or temporary
unemployment".
Christiansen, C. H., & Townsend, E. A. (2010). Introduction to occupation: the art and science of living (2nd
ed.). New Jersey, USA: Pearson Education Inc
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Tutorial Two - Occupational Engagement, Doing Being, Becoming and Belonging
P.I.O. Powerpoint
Title: Occupations in the Rest Home
The occupations undertaken in the recreation room of a rest home was chosen as this was my placement in Fieldwork 2. For 13 weeks I attended once a week for the morning helping facilitate the program while participating in and observing the community involved. The residents were informed via a notice board outside the dining room of the days program and were able to choose if they were interested in participating or not.
The session always began with some exercise to music, and then morning tea was enjoyed by all before the session started.
Definitions:
Doing – Hammell (1998) states “The concept of doing includes purposeful, goal-oriented activities; doing has been the traditional preoccupation of occupational therapy” (p.301).
Being – “Being has been defined as time taken to reflect, be introspective or meditative, (re)discover the self, savour the moment... and to enjoy being with special people” (Hammell, 1998, p.301).
Become – “Becoming describes the idea that people can envision future selves and possible lives, explore new opportunities and harbour ideas ...how their lives might be experienced as worthwhile” (Hammell, 1998, p.302).
Belong – “Belonging, within a network of social support can underpin both the ability to do and contribute to the pleasure and meaningfulness of doing” (Hammell, 2004, p.302)
Reference:
Hammell, K. W. (2004). Dimensions of meaning in the occupations of daily life. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 71(5), 296-305.
Explanation of images chosen:
Figures 1-5 and 9 show images of knitting performed as group work.
Figures 6-7 show images of morning tea as a daily occupation
Figure 8 shows the communal area that all residents can be occupied in.
Figures 10-16 portray some examples of the occupations chosen.
Figures 17- 18 portray group activities of exercise and participation.
Figures 19-20 depict creative choices and challenges.
In order to ensure that my work remained ethical, I chose images that were freely available from online sources of the internet; the images taken by myself were of completed projects without residents of the facility featured and I chose inoffensive creative images to portray occupation.
View more PowerPoint from Otago Polytechnic
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