title: Development of Communication Assistive Technology for Persons with Deaf-Blindness and Physical Limitation.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop a system that will provide communication assistance to persons with deaf-blindness and physical limitation, so that they will be able to communicate with others without the help of an interpreter. With this communication system, a person with deaf-blindness and physical limitation uses a control switch to perform input operations based on the duration of the operating time and combination of long and short pulses. When the input is correctly performed, the user receives a feedback from the tablet computer as vibratory stimuli. Similarly, the message that other person's input with a Bluetooth keyboard is transmitted to the user as vibration stimuli. Following the development, we conducted a one-year assessment of the developed communication system in an actual environment with the cooperation of one person with deaf-blindness and physical limitation. . We confirmed that our developed system was useful for such a person, and understood that we must improve upon several aspects. We shall pursue further study, and will aim at providing a better communication environment for persons with deaf-blindness and physical limitation in future.
authors: Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Japan.
authors: Takuro
authors: T
authors: Hatakeyama
authors: Faculty of Health Science, Nihon Fukushi University, Japan.
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Watanabe
authors: Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, USA.
authors: Kiriko
authors: K
authors: Takahashi
authors: National Institute of Special Needs Education, Japan.
authors: Kouki
authors: K
authors: Doi
authors: The Japan Deafblind Association/World Federation of the Deafblind.
authors: Akiko
authors: A
authors: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D034201:Computers, Handheld; D054062:Deaf-Blind Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D056228:Feedback, Sensory; D006801:Humans; D000075082:Proof of Concept Study; D012656:Self-Help Devices; D014732:Vibration