Assistive Technology (with Dave, the ex-male model)

Instead of our usual participation in occupation class we had Dave Speden, an occupational therapist from KimiOra school (who is, incidentally, an ex-male model) talk to us about one of the areas of work he does involving assistive technology at KimiOra.

One of the technologies I was particularly interested in was the Talking Photo Album. Although the demo one we got shown didn’t actually have batteries in it (or they were flat or something, in short: didn’t work) I thought it was a really good idea.

A talking photo album is (as the name might suggest) a photo album that “talks” – plays back personalised recordings that have been made for each photo.

The example that really got me interested in the Photo Album was one that Dave gave about a bot at KiimiOra who had Motor Neurone disease. He recorded the album while he could still talk and when he lost the ability to talk he could still introduce and tell people about himself and his hobbies, pets, family etc by showing them his photos and playing the recordings he had made.

I thought that the photo album might be useful for dementia patients, possibly naming people in the photos, or having a familiar voice to do the recording could help in soothing them when they are distressed. I also thought that the photo album (or similar) could also be used in an educational context: associating pictures or symbols with a sound or word.

If you’re a real techie kinda person you might like to check out the site (http://www.talkingproducts.co.uk/talking_photo_albums.htm) and look at all the extra special features. However this is my synopsis:

·         Talking Photo Albums with 100 minutes of recording time.

·         Size: 225 x 175 x 35mm Approx.

·         20 pages in a 'flip style' Album.

·         Batteries are included and replaceable: 3 x AAA.

·         Built-in Speaker

·         $61.30 NZ (I used a currency converter but I don’t know if this is right)

Technology. (2004). In The Penguin English  Dictionary(p.1576). London: Penguin

Assistive. (2004). In The Penguin English  Dictionary(p.135). London: Penguin

Ferra002. (2011). Talking photo album.wmv. Retrieved 6^th April 2011 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnNJPU-KcpY.

Vat19com. (2008).talking photo album records your voice on each picture. Retrieved 6^th April 2011 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMLV409Sbdw&feature=related.

Assistive: adj, Giving assistance

Technology: noun, scientific knowledge used in practical ways in industry. For example: designing new machines.

So when these words are put together and then used in an occupational therapy context I would probably explain the resulting concept as: using new technology to make people abled.