Navigating the physical and cyberspace can be quite challenging enough for people without disabilities. However, for people with disabilities, it can be outrightly daunting and harrowing.
Before now, extra care and provisions have been made for people with disabilities, however, the recent advancement in technology has seen those efforts grow incredibly more effective.
Most of the modern technologies that have been invented, like the creation of better prosthetics for amputees, enhance the quality of life for disabled people. However, some of them, like the web accessibility milestone at accessiBe are more virtual in nature.
Visual Helmet
The visual helmet is one of the most advanced technologies that has been created for the visually impaired. The helmet which is designed to look like a cycling helmet has been fitted with cameras and sensors that map its surroundings.
The information that has been mapped is sent to a cloud server which processes the information and translates it to speech. The translation of information from sight to speech enables the wearer to better navigate their surroundings.
Electrical Stimulation
Although it’s still experimental, there is increasing hope for people with an incomplete spinal break. The experimental treatment uses electrical stimulation to perk up dormant circuits in the spinal cord.
Recently, promising results have been observed in test patients. The patients who participated in the trial were recorded to have walked up to 390 meters. It’s not complete yet, but it is still being worked on.
Sign-to-Speech Gloves
In China, the US, and the UK, researchers are conducting experiments and working on a pair of sign-to-speech gloves for speech-impaired people. The gloves work by processing the accurate movements of the sign language and translating the results to speech. This piece of technology aims to make communication easier for the speech-impaired.
Improved Cognitive Hearing Aid
Researchers at Columbia University are building a unique hearing aid with a cochlear implant that filters the sounds around the wearer. The implant maps the brain of the wearer to enhance the sounds that the wearer is focused on while drowning out the other surrounding sounds. This scientific development is a significant improvement on the previous types of hearing aids.
