ATN Reviews The Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology and Devices
By John M. Williams
Over many years, I have read a number of books on assistive technology products. Similar to The Illustrated Guide to Assistive Technology and Devices, the books described a variety of specific product
developed for specific disabilities. For example, Suzanne Robitaille, the author of The Illustrated Guide to….describes assistive technology products for people with the following disabilities: vision, hearing,
cognitive, physical and communications. She lists a plethora of products for each disability and their benefits to users. Her concisely written descriptions will certainly benefit the experienced person assistive
technology person and the novice.
A long time journalist and former colleague of mine at Business Week Online, Robitaille is well-qualified to write about assistive technology. In discussing her hearing disability she writes,”Of all the
disabilities that I discuss in this book, deafness is the one that I am most familiar. When I was four years-old, I contracted spinal meningitis. As a result, I became profoundly deaf in both ears.” She grew up
wearing a hearing aid in her left ear. In 2002, she received a cochlear implant “The implant,” she writes, “provides an entirely different kind of hearing, It bypasses the damaged hearing nerves and sends
sound waves directly to the brain.” She hears.
I believe Robitaille’s former deafness gives her a unique insight into the challenges people with disabilities face and how assistive technologies breakdown historical barriers that until recently have prevented people with disabilities from being educated, from being employed and from being assimilated into society.
With sensitivity and intelligence, Robitaille educates the reader on ways assistive technologies can change peoples’ lives. She uses vignettes in the book to describe a person’s disability and the technology the person uses. In the chapter on Technologies for Communications Disabilities, she writes, “Dolores, who has difficulty with stuttering, gets very nervous when she goes on job interviews. She wears a fluency device in her ear that provides her with auditory feedback of her works, giving her more confidence and calmness to speak about her skills and qualifications.”
I stutter. I use a fluency device when I am interviewing people for stories. The device builds my confidence and helps my fluency.
There are many praises that I can sing about this book. I like the book because of its comprehensiveness, of its thoroughness and of its educational value. Readers acquire a unique understanding of a range of disabilities and the many, many products on the market to empower individuals with disabilities. I am enviousness of Suzanne’s research and knowledge displayed in the book. Other reasons to own this book are:
There is a superb chapter on The Future of Assistive Technology that is a must read for employers, educators and consumers. The message is – sci-fi technology benefiting people with disabilities
is approaching reality. I do not want to give away these future products. I have never read this topic covered as well in other books on assistive technology.
In a Resources section, Suzanne lists scores of assistive technology manufacturers and their specialties. This section is a time saver for people looking for information on companies manufacturing specific
products for a specific disability.
My criticism of the book is there are not enough pioneers mentioned in the chapter covering History of Assistive Technology. Deane Blazie, Jim Bliss, Ted Henter, Barry Romich and others deserve mention.
This 184 page book can be read in less than three hours. The knowledge acquired is worth the time.
Published by Demos Health, 11 West 42 St., NY, NY, the book sells for $19.95. It is a terrific holiday present. It can be ordered on Amazon.com.
Send comments on this review to jwilliams@atechnews.com.
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