Exploration Of Assistive Technologies Used By People With Quadriplegia Caused By Degenerative Neurological Diseases

Various assistive devices and interfaces to access the computer have been developed for people with severe motor impairments. This article explores how effective these technologies are for individuals with quadriplegia caused by degenerative neurological diseases. The following questions are studied: (1) What activities are performed? (2) What tools are used? (3) What are the advantages and limitations of the tools? (4) How do users learn about and choose assistive technologies? (5) Why are some technologies abandoned? Results of a qualitative study with 15 participants indicate that study participants have strong needs for efficient text entry and communication that are not met. A lack of information about technology options limits the choices of several of the study participants. The study revealed that automated interface personalization and adaptation to disease progression should be important design goals for future assistive technologies that support users with quadriplegia caused by degenerative neurological diseases.