Page 306 - Handbook of Electronic Assistive Technology

Chapter 10 • Assistive Technology Integration and Accessibility 295

The potential benefits of this approach were described by Paul Hawes:

This approach gives enormous power. The system can be designed from the start with
the specific needs of the user in mind. The best input method may be selected from the
wealth of special software now available to provide alternative inputs to the PC. For
those with a visual problem, special output programs, especially those which magnify
the image on the screen, are also available. This makes it possible to tailor the system
very precisely to the needs of the user. Once the problem of access to the computer has
been solved, the user can then choose some suitable applications, of which an AAC
program may be only one.
Hawes (1994)

As the use of standard computers and operating systems to power communication aids
became more prevalent, the ability to use computers as ECs also developed. Initially, this
was facilitated through using ‘plug-in’ transmitter units to send infrared signals. Blenkhorn
et al. (1996) describe an early project innovation in developing a plug-in controller as flex-
ible and inexpensive, potentially providing many functions at a low cost.

Wheelchair Controls

Wheelchair control technology evolution has also provided additional integration avenues
and functions. A number of systems were created that allowed an individual to use their
wheelchair control to control other standalone equipment (e.g., an EC or AAC device).
Initially developed as one-off custom-made devices, commercial wheelchair manufac-
turers began to develop integration functionality into their controllers, while others also
developed customisable integration units using the protocols of other manufacturers.
The WiseDX, for example, was a wheelchair system developed specifically for integrated
access and control and designed to work with the Dynamic DX wheelchair control system.
By this time, integrated systems had been available for a while and were mostly tailored
to the needs of individuals. However, they lacked flexibility to be readily adaptable to
meet the needs of a wide range of people with different abilities and requirements
(Clayton, 1999).

Development in Access Methods

By the late 1990s the main modes of integration had now been established and will be
discussed in more detail in this section. However, further developments drove forward the
possibilities for individuals with disabilities to access multiple functions from one control
method.
These developments included the expanding number of methods to allow access to
computers. The prime example of this is the development of eye-gaze technology pri-
marily driven by the further development of eye-gaze technology facilitated by the EU
Communication by Gaze Interaction project (Bates et al., 2007). This new access technology