Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
UD and sustainability continua. As a result, the communication system in the conference
room would fall outside of the ideal center on the intersection model. In other words, the
communication system, as originally designed, would offer an assistive solution for deaf and
hard of hearing users but not for people with cognitive disabilities and hearing sensitivities.
In the end, Access Living decided against installing the audio frequency induction loop
for multiple reasons. The system did not meet local fire safety regulations. Second, the
organization's internal research revealed that deaf and hard of hearing users could use
portable devices such as personal amplifiers and wireless sound transmitters and receiv-
ers as alternatives. Thus, the final design decision for the conference room's communica-
tion system was more favorable along the UD continuum.
A final point to bear in mind about this case example is that it describes the EA pro-
cess for an environment that was in its development stage. This situation offered a perfect
opportunity to modify the environment in a way as to approximate the ideal center at the
intersections of accessibility, sustainability, and UD to support the participation of mul-
tiple users and their varied AT needs. However, such situations are rare, and in most cases
AT users have to contend with preexisting and predesigned environments. Nonetheless,
the EA process described in this chapter would be just as valuable when applied to such
situations because it would guide decisions about modifying the environment(s) or the AT
or both to optimize the assistive solution for the user.
4.5 Conclusions
By proposing the assessment of environmental content in the ATA process along the
three conceptual dimensions of accessibility, UD, and sustainability, we have presented
a model that can be useful in supporting the assistive solution for users. This assistive
solution is one in which the ideal center can be achieved by modifying the environment,
changing the AT to match the user's needs, or making changes to both the environ-
ment and AT. However, this process never occurs without consideration of the interac-
tion between AT, the user, and the environment. Often the goal of achieving the ideal
center is elusive, and decisions are made that may incorporate one of the three concepts
of the environment over the others. However, the final decision ultimately depends on
the contingencies of the situation and the needs of the user.
Summary of the Chapter
This chapter discusses the role of the environment in inhibiting or supporting full soci-
etal participation of people with disabilities and provides a rationale and framework for
incorporating the environment within the assistive technology assessment (ATA) process.
In this chapter, the environment of AT use is viewed broadly as encompassing physical,
social, cultural, legislative, and economic elements. Based on this broad definition, the first
part of this chapter proposes a model for assessing the environment within the ATA pro-
cess along the three intersecting dimensions of accessibility, sustainability, and universal
design. By evaluating the environment along these three dimensions, one can strive to
