An overview of technological resources used in rehabilitation research with people with severe/profound and multiple disabilities.
OBJECTIVE
This paper provides an outline of technological resources used in rehabilitation research with persons with severe/profound and multiple disabilities, and discusses the practicality of such resources.


METHODS
Research articles published during the last 8 years (1993-2000) are considered. With regard to each of the technological resources used in the articles (i.e. microswitches, speech output devices, computer-aided instruction systems, audio recording systems, orientation systems, mobile robot, and SIBIS), accessibility, cost and implementation issues are examined.


CONCLUSIONS
Some technological resources are easily accessible and affordable (i.e. microswitches, speech output devices, audio-recording systems and SIBIS). Other resources are still at the prototype level (i.e. computer-aided instruction systems, orientation systems and robot) and are much more complex and costly. In spite of this, the latter resources might still have an important role in daily contexts.
Lancioni
G E
GE
Department of Psychology, University of Leiden, The Netherlands. lancioni@fsw.leidenuniv.nl
Oreilly
M F
MF
Basili
G
G
D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research