In recent times, assistive technology — a group of hardware and software devices that allow persons with disability to learn and communicate — have been transforming the lives of several disabled people across the world.

Such devices are introduced by organisations, which are engaged in rehabilitation and training of persons with disability. Pacer Centre in the United States, has been working for several years in finding/introducing technology-based solutions for children and adults with disability in that country. Now it has partnered with Spastic Society of Karnataka (SSK) and IBM India to set up the first ever comprehensive assistive technology centre in Bangalore.

Bridget Ames, from Pacer’s Simon Technology Centre, was in Bangalore to train teachers of SSK in handling various devices at the newly opened centre. She spoke to L Subramani of Deccan Herald on the new project. Excerpts:

How did this effort begin?

Two years ago, Pacer Centre, along with several organisations in India, held an assistive technology conference in Bangalore to spread awareness on the positive changes the technology can bring in the lives of persons with disability. Continued communication with some of them even after that resulted in the partnership with SSK.

For a long time, we have been holding telephone conversations with SSK, facilitated by IBM, on how this centre would shape up. Eventually, the 1,400 square foot area within SSK was developed and IBM donated computers. For our part, we spoke to technology vendors we know in the US and have brought around $80,000 worth of equipments.

Give us an idea of the kind of devices installed in the technology centre.

We have software such as Board Maker, a flexible and powerful communication display maker which helps support communication of children who can’t naturally communicate; switches and voice output devices that help us record a message, which a child can access by pressing a switch; tools like wordprediction, which can complete a word for children with poor motor control or learning disability, who have problems in spelling.

I have brought with me 122 different equipments, which, in the next 10 days, I would familiarise the teachers with.

When you look at facilities here, do you think the infrastructure in NGOs like SSK is as good as what you see in the US, except, perhaps, for the technology part?

It is truly amazing to see the wide variety of services offered in organisations like SSK, which have everything right from diagnosis to therapy and training. An important thing also is that SSK, like Pacer Centre, has a heart for parents in terms of supporting and educating them. When I look at all this, I would say that things here are pretty much comparable with facilities back home.

Has the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), which was passed in 1991, made a big difference to persons with disability in the US?

Certainly, it is a historical piece of legislation. If things don’t work for people, there is always this piece of law to fall back on. Because there are situations (in the US) — in education and employment — where persons with disability may not have things going quite their way and they will have to assert their rights; this law certainly gives them the proper legal basis to win their rights due to them.

What is your impression on the advancements in assistive technology? Do you think assistive devices are advancing as rapidly as technologies in other realms?

Assistive technology is a rapidly advancing field which is helping several children (with disability) and their parents. For example, Simon Technology Centre came up 20 years ago because a parent whose child benefited a great deal from assistive technology wanted to share it with other parents and empower them as well. It is not just about sharing existing technology; there are also more innovations happening in this realm.

Before my trip to India, I had been to a technology conference, where people exhibited devices that they had developed for persons with disability. Each year, you see newer devices hitting the podium and by that measure, the innovation happening in the assistive technology realm is quite amazing.

How are you hoping to take your relationship with SSK forward? Do you have a roadmap?

Well, it’s a kind of goose roadmap. What we know for sure is that we will follow up this training session with the SSK teachers. We are thinking of some sort of web-based communication such as blogs in order to update the teachers with tips and tricks for handling the devices at the technology centre. In future, myself or someone else from my organisation will visit Bangalore again for a refresher session.