Tech Connect

Archives

AT & Me

By Chris Armistead

I sometimes try to remember what I thought about the first time I ever heard the term "accessible technology." To be honest I don’t quite recall, but I know that it wasn’t all that similar to what I think about when I hear it now. I’ve been living with MS since 2005, and in 2007 I was given the unique opportunity to travel to a laboratory in Washington, D.C., where I first saw a few of these technologies in action. 

The entire experience made me feel like I was in a spy movie. Among the most memorable items was a computer program that responded to your voice and transcribed the words you were to speaking into words on your computer screen. My personal favorite was a small adhesive dot that was placed on the forehead and controlled a cursor on the screen much like a mouse, except this one operated with nothing but subtle motions of the head. The awe I felt when viewing these innovations could perhaps be attributed in part to the fact that I had never before considered a need for such things to exist. AT to me sounded boring when I first heard it.  What I saw was anything but boring.

I am thankful for the forward thinking people who continue to create accessible technologies that I couldn't possibly imagine conceiving. AT means that after a long day when my hand is feeling a bit shaky, I can choose to use a series of keystrokes to accomplish what I sometimes do with an often frustrating mouse. This comparatively unimpressive example is a small way in which technology helps me every day. 

When I hear the term "accessible technology" today my mind almost immediately jumps back to the fascinating day in that laboratory. But when I consider what the term means to me as a young professional living – and working – with MS every day, I associate it with the tiniest things that make the biggest difference. 

At the laboratory in D.C., Chris experiments with a specialized keyboard that requires less motion on the user's part and better positioning with respect to the keyboard.

Chris looks on to better understand the screen magnifiers and zoom text features.

See other articles in the Tech Connect archive.