Assistive Technology Essay

As technology becomes more advanced, among the numerous benefits that this advances have, one of the most significant being the continued advancement of assistive technology. Assistive technology is defined by Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 1988 (Public Law 100–407) as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” As the power of technology grows, this gives us all the ability to create new things to address the problems that have yet to be solved. There is a wide variety of individuals whom have issues with memory, for example those with Alzheimer's and Dementia, individuals who have experienced Traumatic Brain Injuries, those
The Proximity Quick Wandering Alert was designed for those with memory loss severe enough that they may exhibit wandering or getting lost that may put their safety at risk. For those living with Dementia and Alzheimer's, memory loss is not the only symptom. These individuals can also experience confusion, along with many other symptoms, which can make their memory loss even more alarming. This piece of assistive technology is a badge that can be clipped to the clothing of the individual with memory loss to alert an alarm if the badge gets to far away from the phone that it is connected to. For example, if the badge is clipped onto the lapel, collar, or waist of an individual with Alzheimer's Disease and they leave the home that they are in, an alarm on the phone that the badge is connected to will sound. This device is connected via bluetooth to a caregiver's device so that an alarm goes off if the badge goes beyond the pre-set distance, that is set by whomever has control of the