A Short History of Assistive Technology

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A Short History of Assistive Technology

• Oh Boy, You Should See How Far Weve Come

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Presenters

• Debra K. Bauder, Ed.D.
• Associate Professor, University of Louisville
• Kathy Griffin, ATP
• Idaho Center for Assistive Technology

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Objectives

• Significant Developments in Technology
• How General Developments in Technology Benefitted
  Persons with Disabilities
• When various assistive technologies and devices
  were developed

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Critical Development Areas for Individuals with
Disabilities

• Mobility
• Communication
• Writing
• Reading
• Calculation/Mathematics

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Mobility

• Wheels
• Lying down
• Sitting
• Standing
• Independent - self-propelled
• Independent electric

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Mobility
King Phillip of Spain - 1595
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Mobility Self-Propelled
Stephen Farfler, at age of 22, built this for
himself - 1655
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Mobility Self-Propelled
Street scene Japan 1900s
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Mobility - Electric
Custer Specialty Car - 1922
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Mobility - Electric

• While the first power chairs used electric power
  only for moving the wheels forward, today's
  systems include powered adjustments for seats,
  foot rests, back pads, and head rests.

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Mobility Modern Types of Wheelchairs

• Sports chairs
• Stand-up
• Stair-climbing wheelchairs
• Beach wheelchairs
• Bariatric wheelchairs

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What were the critical developments

• 1783 Bath Chair invented by John Dawson
• 1881 Push rims were added for propulsion
• 1900 - Wired spoked wheels adopted by wheelchairs
  
• 1909 - Compact wheelchairs were developed using
  metal tubing instead of the traditional bulky
  wood components (Kamenetz, 1969)
• 1916 -The first electric wheelchair was produced
  in Great Britain
• 1933 - Harry Jennings invented the folding
  wheelchair.
• 1952 - the beginning of wheelchair sports
  occurred with the first games held at the Stoke
  Mandeville Rehabilitation Center in England.
• 1980s - microprocessor-controlled powered
  wheelchairs were developed, which allowed
  customization of controls to meet the needs of
  more user needs.
• 1980-90s - the revolution in powered wheelchair
  design, control, styles, range or travel
  distance, suspension, maneuverability, seating
  and other user options.

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What was the critical development

• For the Electric Wheelchair?
• The Electric Motor

• Thomas Davenport of Brandon, Vermont,
• One of the first to find a practical application
  for the electric motor.
• Belgian inventor, Zénobe Gramme.
• The Gramme Machine was the first generator to
  produce power on a commercial scale for industry.

Gramme Machine, 1871
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Communication Advances

• For Persons with Sensory Impairments
• Early Hearing Aids
• Morse Code
• Sign Language
• Telephone
• Modern Hearing Aids
• For Persons without Independent Speech
• Augmentative and Alternate Communication Devices
• The Computer

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Communication Early Hearing Aids
Duguet is sometimes credited with inventing the
acoustic chair in 1706. The throne shown here was
made for King Goa VI of Portugal by the firm F.C.
Rein Son in 1819.
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Communication Advances Modern Hearing Aids
Modern in-ear hearing aids
Cochlear Implant
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Communication Morse Code

• Originally created for Samuel F. B. Morse's
  electric telegraph in the early 1840s, Morse code
  was also extensively used for early radio
  communication beginning in the 1890s.
• It has generally been replaced by machine
  readable formats, such as Baudot code and ASCII.

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Communication Advances Sign Language
In 1755 Abbe Charles Michel de LEpee of Paris
created and demonstrated a language of signs
whereby each would be a symbol that suggested the
concept desired.
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Communication Advances Sign Language
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, an energetic
Congregational minister, became interested in
helping his neighbor's young deaf daughter, Alice
Cogswell. He traveled to Europe in 1815, when he
was twenty-seven, to study methods of
communicating with deaf people. In 1817
Gallaudet founded the nation's first school for
deaf people, in Hartford, Connecticut, and Clerc
became the United States' first deaf sign
language teacher.
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Advanced Sign Language

• Mobile ASL

Verizon Wireless
The Sign Language Translator
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Communication Telephone
March 10, 1876 - In the outer room when the first
telephone rang and Alexander Graham Bell was on
the other end saying, "Mr. Watson Come here I
want to see you" and Watson heard him clearly.
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Communications - Telephone

• The TTY concept was developed by James C.
  Marsters (1924-2009) and Robert Weitbrecht
• During the late 1960s, Paul Taylor combined
  Western Union teletype machines with modems to
  create the first telecommunications devices for
  the deaf, known as TDDs or TTYs (teletype
  machines).
• In 1973 the MCM (Manual Communications Module),
  which was the world's first electronic portable
  TDD (Telephone Device for the Deaf) allowing
  two-way telecommunications, premiered at the CAD
  (California Association of the Deaf) convention
  in Sacramento, California.

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Communication Telephone Advances

• The Captioned Telephone displays every word the
  caller says throughout the conversation. CapTel
  users can listen to the caller, and can also read
  the written captions.
• Telebraille also exists for people who are
  DeafBlind with the use of a TTY with a braille or
  regular keyboard and a refreshable braille
  display or LVD (Large Visual Display).
• Braillephone,

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Communication Advances - Cell Phones

• 1865  Dr. Mahlon Loomis was the first person to
  communicate through wireless atmosphere.
• The basic concept of cellular phones began in
  1947
• The first actual cell phone was made in 1973 by
  Martin Cooper of Motorola
• Cell phones were first made available to the
  public in 1984.

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Communication Advances Cell Phone
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Communication AAC

• AAC emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as an avenue
  for communication for those individuals (largely
  people with significant disabilities) who had not
  developed the more traditional communication
  skill of speech.
• During the beginning of the 1980s, AAC became an
  area of professional specialization.
• Used by individuals with various disabilities.
• No tech/low tech to high tech strategies and
  devices.

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Communication Devices Advances
Super Auggie AAC Device
Tango AAC Device
Talking Brix Communicators
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What were the critical developments?

• Assigning movement a meaning as demonstrated by
  Sign Language
• Converting the alphabet to electrical impulses as
  demonstrated by Morse Code
• TTY Devices
• Cell Phones
• AAC devices
• Software Programs
• Speech Generated Devices
• Dynamic Screens

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Benefits of the Communication Advances to Persons
with Disabilities

• Ability to communicate by hearing or using
  American Sign Language
• Ability to communicate by using Augmentative
  Communication Devices and Strategies
• Authentic

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Reading and Writing Text

• Moveable Type Korea
• Manufacture of paper in Europe
• The Gutenberg Press
• Typewriter
• Telegraph
• Stock Ticker Machine
• Teletypewriter
• Computer

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Advances in Text Generation

• Moveable Type
• Developed by the Koreans in 1241
• Manufacture of paper in Europe 1309
• Manuscripts and documents were written on
  parchment which is made from animal skins

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Advances in Text Generation and Understanding

• The Gutenberg Press

1440
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Advances in Text Generation

• Typewriter

Built by Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for a blind
friend, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Frivizzono.
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Advances in Text Generation - Telegraph

• The non-electric telegraph was invented by Claude
  Chappe in 1794.
• In 1809, a crude telegraph was invented in
  Bavaria by Samuel Soemmering.
• In 1828, the first telegraph in the USA. was
  invented by Harrison Dyar who sent electrical
  sparks through chemically treated paper tape to
  burn dots and dashes.

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Advances in Text Generation

• In 1867, Edward A. Calahan of the American
  Telegraph Company invented the first stock
  telegraph printing device.
• in the 1960s, replaced by
• computer networks

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Advances in Text Generation

• Teletypewriter

Baudot developed in 1874. They become common in
1917.
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Advances in Text Generation

• Teletypewriter

Baudot Alphabet
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Advances in Text Generation

• Computer

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Computer Timeline Highlights- Early Years
1936 - Konrad Zuse - Z1 Computer - First freely
programmable computer. 1944 - Howard Aiken
Grace Hopper Harvard Mark I
Computer 1946 - John Presper Eckert John W.
Mauchly - ENIAC 1 Computer 20,000
vacuum tubes 1953 - International Business
Machines -IBM 701 EDPM Computer 1958 - Jack
Kilby Robert Noyce -The Integrated Circuit -
Otherwise known as 'The Chip'
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What were the critical developments?

• Moveable Type

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What were the critical developments?

• Moveable Type
• Text to Electrical Impulses

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Generation to
Persons with Disabilities

• 1947 The Perkins Brailler is developed printing
  of large-type books is initiated by the American
  Printing House for the Blind

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Generation to
Persons with Disabilities

• 1947 The Perkins Brailler is developed printing
  of large-type books is initiated by the American
  Printing House for the Blind
• 1980s Adapted Keyboards

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Generation to
Persons with Disabilities

• 1947 The Perkins Brailler is developed printing
  of large-type books is initiated by the American
  Printing House for the Blind
• 1980s Adapted Keyboards
• 1990s E-Mail

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Generation to
Persons with Disabilities

• 1947 The Perkins Brailler is developed printing
  of large-type books is initiated by the American
  Printing House for the Blind
• 1980s Adapted Keyboards
• 1990s E-Mail
• Word Prediction Software

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Advances in Text Understanding

• Gutenberg Printing Press
• Braille
• Phonograph Player
• Radio
• Cassette Tape
• Computer

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Advances in Text Understanding

• Braille

Louis Braille developed the six-dot system known
as Braille in 1834.
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Advances in Text Understanding

• Phonograph Player

1837
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Advances in Text Understanding

• Radio

1897 - Guglielmo Marconi
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Advances in Text Understanding

• Cassette Tape

1962
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Advances in Text Understanding

• Computer

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Computers Not So Long Ago

• 1962 Steve Russell MIT -Spacewar Computer Game
  The first computer game invented.
• 1964 Douglas Engelbart -Computer Mouse Windows
  Nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the
  end.
• 1969 ARPAnet The original Internet.
• 1974/75 Scelbi Mark-8 Altair IBM 5100
  Computers The first consumer computers.
• 1976/77 Apple I, II TRS-80 Commodore Pet
  Computers More first consumer computers.

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Computers -

• 1981 IBM The IBM PC - Home Computer From an
  "Acorn" grows a personal computer revolution
• 1981 Microsoft MS-DOS Computer Operating System
  From "Quick And Dirty" comes the operating system
  of the century.
• 1983 Apple Lisa Computer The first home computer
  with a GUI, graphical user interface.
• 1984 Apple Macintosh Computer The more affordable
  home computer with a GUI.
• 1985 Microsoft Windows

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Computers

• Harvard Mark 1. Electro-mechanical computer

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Computer

• Apple 1 which was sold as a do-it yourself kit
  without the wood box.

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• The original IBM Personal Computer

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• Apple computers launched the Macintosh in 1984
• First successful mouse-drive computer with a
  graphic interface.
• WYSIWYG (What You See is What You you Get
  (MacWrite Software

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What were the critical developments?

• Conversion of graphic letters to a 6-cell format
  - Braille

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What were the critical developments?

• Conversion of graphic letters to a 6-cell format
  - Braille
• Conversion of sound waves to electrical signals
  that could then be converted back to sound waves
• Electromagnet
• Microprocessors
• Circuits and Integrated Circuits

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Understanding to
Persons with Disabilities

• The United States Congress has a long history of
  supporting technology applications for people
  with disabilities, dating back to 1879, when a
  10,000 grant was made to support the production
  of Braille materials at the American Printing
  House for the Blind.

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Benefits of the Advances in Text Understanding to
Persons with Disabilities

• The United States Congress has a long history of
  supporting technology applications for people
  with disabilities, dating back to 1879, when a
  10,000 grant was made to support the production
  of Braille materials at the American Printing
  House for the Blind.
• 1934 Talking Books for the Blind are produced on
  long playing phonograph records

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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Abacus
• Napiers Bones
• Bissakers Slide Rule
• Adding Machine
• Computer
• Calculator

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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Abacus

1000 BC
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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Napiers Bones

1617
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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Bissakers Slide Rule

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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Modern Slide Rule

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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Adding Machine

1904
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Advances in Mathematical Computation

• Computer

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Advances in Mathmatical Computation

• Calculator

Texas Instruments Datamath - 1972
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Advances in Mathmatical Computation

• Electronic Calculators

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What were the critical developments?

• The Computer and

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What were the critical developments?

• The Computer and the Calculator

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Benefits for Persons with Disabilities

• Talking Calculators
• Graphing Calculators
• The Computer

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How we got the computer

• Abacus
• Slide rule
• Analytical Engine
• Jacquards Loom
• Telegraph
• Vacuum Tubes

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How we got the computer

• Transistors
• Integrated Circuits
• Microprocessors

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How we got the computer

• Analytical Engine

The analytical engine was the design of a
mechanical general-purpose computer by the
British mathematician Charles Babbage. It was
first described in 1837, but Babbage continued to
work on the design until his death in 1871.
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How we got the computer

• Jacquards Loom

In 1801, Joseph Marie Jacquard, a silk-weaver,
invented an improved textile loom. The Jacquard
loom was the first machine to use punched cards.
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How we got the computer

• Vacuum Tubes

In electronics, a vacuum tube is a device used to
amplify, switch, otherwise modify, or create an
electrical signal by controlling the movement of
electrons in a low-pressure space.
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How we got the computer

• Transistors

The device is jointly credited to William
Shockley (1910-1989), John Bardeen (1908-1991)
and Walter Brattain (1902-1987), and it was
Bardeen and Brattain who made the first working
point-contact transistor on 16 December 1947.
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How we got the computer

• Integrated Circuits

In the summer of 1958 Jack Kilby at Texas
Instruments found a solution to a problem of
miniaturization of transistors, circuits, and
wires. In September 1958, he had his first
integrated circuit ready. It was tested and it
worked perfectly!
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How we got the computer

• Microprocessors

Intel released its single 4-bit all-purpose chip,
the Intel 4004, in November 1971.
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Assistive Technology - Advances
Pulse Smartpen
Eco 2
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EcoPoint Integrated eye-control system
Accessible Aquarium
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Questions?

• Debra K. Bauder
• University of Louisville
• Kathy Griffin
• Idaho Center for Assistive Technology

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