A vital aspect of
Occupational Therapy is the adaptive equipment we provide to increase the
quality of an individuals life. There is a variety of equipment used in the
profession range from soft tech to hard tech as well as low tech to high tech. This
can be adaptive or assistive, which is defined as “any item, piece of
equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially of the shelf,
modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities” (Cook & Hussey,
1995). Therefore, assistive equipment is any form of equipment that aids a
person’s ability to participate in an occupation.
A piece of
assistive technology I would like to share with you is the Talking Photo Album.
This is an “easy-to-use speech output album”
(Attainment Company, 2011, p.7) that allows the user to insert a photo and
record a message relating to the photo. To activate the recording, the user
simply presses the play button. The album allows the use of cards, text or
standard sized photo’s (4” x 6”) over 24 pages, with 10 seconds of recording
time per page, and runs on two AA batteries (Attainment Company, 2011). This
album can be used as a way of communicating stories, instructions, personal
information or memories when otherwise limited in speech. The Talking Photo
Album can be purchased for $29.00 from Attainment via their catalogue.
This album appeals to me as I feel
communication is a necessity to survival as it allows us to learn, develop and
share with others, without this we would fail to exist as social beings.
Christiansen & Townsend explain that humans are “social and occupational
beings who are genetically predisposed to exist and act together. Mutuality and
reciprocity appear to be an evolutionary necessity for humans” (2004, p.184).
This album would be perfect for those
who suffer occupational deprivation. Occupational deprivation is an
individual’s inability to participate in occupation over an extended period of
time due to circumstances which are external or out of the individual’s control
(Whiteford, 2004). An example of this is a client who I had the pleasure of
working with during his time suffering Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
Communicating was becoming a challenge for him and his speech was declining.
During one of my home visits to this gentleman, he asked me to take a book off
the bookshelf and give it to him. This book was on New Zealand’s greatest
helicopter pilots and as he found a page with a picture of him as a young man
standing beside a large helicopter. With great effort he continued to tell me
of this past occupation of his. Looking back at this situation now, this
Talking Photo Album would have be a tremendous aid to him. At the beginning of
his illness, before his speech had declined, he could have recorded his voice
talking of his experience.
The Talking Photo Album would be useful
for not only the gentleman above, but for individuals whose communication is
limited. As it has been said many a time, humans are social beings. Having the
ability to socialize and communicate allows our participation in human society.
To see more on this product, visit
References:
Whiteford, G.
(2004). Occupational deprivation: Understanding limited participation. In C.
Christiansen & E. Townsend (Ed.s). Introduction to occupation: The art and
science of living (2nd e.d.). USA: Pearson.
Christiansen, C.
& Townsend, E. (2004). Introduction to occupation: The art and science of
living (2nd e.d.). USA: Pearson (p.184).
Attainment Company
(2011). Annual catalogue 2011, p.7
This is very informative, what other groups of people could this be used for?
ReplyDeleteGood question H-Rock! This devise would be useful to anyone who suffers MS, Parkinson's, TBI or stroke. If a persons speech is extremely limited, they are able to get someone else to speak on the recording.
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