5 Gadgets That Enable Lives at Tech Able

A lot of us already use Assistive Technology (AT) in our everyday lives, without even knowing it! An example would be mainstream prescribed glasses to correct shortsightedness. Today, we visit Tech Able at the Enabling Village to see how people with disabilities can live more independently thanks to AT.

1. C-Pen

A reader pen that can scan and read text out loud to a user, this utilises a patented camera technology as well as a special software to ensure it can capture and process text accurately. So this would be quite helpful for people with visual impairments or dyslexia. There’s even a dictionary function, voice memo and it can function as a USB thumb drive too.

2. Liftware Level

Stroke survivors or people without a huge range of motion in their upper limbs might find it difficult to feed themselves because they can’t balance the cutlery properly. Liftware Level holds the end of the cutlery upright even if the user ends up tilting the back of the spoon or fork backwards.

There’s another version of the self-levelling spoon, called the ELISpoon, although it’s not battery-operated. Instead, it relies on two counterweights on either side of the spoon to balance itself.

3. Uccello Kettle

For people with weak limbs or arthritis, pouring hot water out of a kettle could be dangerous. All you have to do with the Uccello Kettle is use one finger to tilt the kettle to pour out the hot water inside and the tilting base means that users won’t have to lift the kettle up to pour water.

4. Knoctify

We don’t really think about doorbells much. When we’re at home, we hear the ringer doorbell and we answer the door. For people with hearing impairment, they’ll need another form of cue to inform them. Knoctify is a device that can be placed anywhere in the house, and when someone rings the doorbell, it’ll flash and vibrate to let you know there’s someone at the door.

On top of that, you can even customise the colour of the notification. For example, you can program it to flash red for the main door and green for the kitchen door.

5. VR Modules

Delivered through mainstream VR devices like the Samsung Gear VR, VR modules present a safe and controlled environment for people to experience new objects or situations. Customised content can be designed for people with different needs.

People with autism tend to be sensitive towards external stimuli like noise and light, so in this case, customised content can be designed to help them acclimatise themselves to situations like visiting the dentist.

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Technology brings convenience to us all, but for persons with disabilities, Assistive Technology can be transformative, allowing them to live more independently.