NDIS Support for Assistive Technology
I was able to attend the NDIS New World conference in Brisbane this October. It was amazing to see around 1400 delegates who were people with disability, technology experts, entrepreneurs, policy makers, service providers and parents. What amazing opportunity for people from different areas to come together for a common purpose and to share their stories.
There were some incredible innovations in the area of assistive technology, stories and ideas for the future. I would like to share some of those with you, especially the head switch control concept.
I saw Jordan Ngyuen talk about the wheelchair he designed that is controlled by the user’s thoughts. Just incredible. He has also been working on a device that monitors a child’s movements whilst they are in the cot. The movements are then modelled using computer software and can be shown to a professional who determines if there is the need for further investigation.
This technique is currently being studied in relation to an early diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. He is investigating how it may also be possible to investigate the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in infants.
I was very impressed by Ability Mate, who were the winners of the NDIS pitch competition and the People’s Choice Award. This company is very likely to revolutionise assistive technology in Australia. They connect designers with the people who need the specialised products, which are prepared using three-dimensional printing.
For example, in 2013 they manufactured a prosthetic hand for a boy for a total cost of $500; whereas this item had previously cost $50,000 to manufacture. There are so many products that could be designed in this way that are specific to the individual person with disability, to enhance their lives.
There were many representatives of technological companies also in attendance. I heard Phil Jenkins from IBM talk about an American student, Herman Hollerith, who had a cognitive disability. In 1873 he would jump out of the window of his school building, which happened to be on the second floor, to avoid spelling tests.
Herman went on to design an electrochemical tabulator based on punch cards. Later he formed a company which, in 1911, was consolidated with three other companies to form the Computing-Tabulating-Record Company, now known as IBM. How different would the world be today if Herman had not made his significant contribution to it.
There were sessions entitled “Digital Dreams” where people spoke about their ideas for how people with disability could live the good life using assistive technology. It was insightful to see Samantha Connor talk about her idea for connecting support workers with similar interests to the person with the disability. Technological advances could allow this by having an app with profiles for both the person with the disability and the support worker.
Bruce Bonyhady, Chair of the NDIS, talked about the development of an application in Sweden where a person with a disability can identify a safe house to go to if they are in a situation where they do not feel safe. I thought this was fantastic and practical assistive technology and I would love to see it expand to other countries.
Christopher Hills showed us how he used a switch device with his head to control and use all of his technological devices. He is working with Canadian physicist, Ross Lockwood, to modify this technology so that astronauts can control devices using a specially designed glove incorporated into their space suit. He also runs his own video editing company and is just awesome in general.
Rhonda Gallaby then suggested we use the term “inclusive technology” rather than “assistive technology” to the sound of rapturous applause from the audience.
I also loved watching a video from Apple which showed how an application allowed a person to change the angle of her prosthetic foot, with respect to the prosthetic leg, so that she could use her rowing machine. Previously she would have to go back to the doctor who designed the prosthetic limb to get any changes made.
One of the stories I loved the most was that of Karni Liddel, a former paralympian and proud Queenslander. She told the story about how she was asked to present at a medical conference as one of her first experiences as a motivational speaker. Her mother begged her to attend, although at the time Karni could not understand why.
During her presentation, Karni saw the doctor who had diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy her sitting in the audience. He was the one who had told her and her mother all the things that Karni wouldn’t be able to do. Right there and then she knew she wanted to go and talk to him afterwards. At the end of the talk she realised her mum was making a bee-line for the doctor too, but Karni saw the doctor walking towards her.
When he reached her she could see he was holding a big manila folder. Before she had a chance to speak, he then dropped all of these newspaper clippings near Karni. They were about all of her sporting achievements and of her time as a paralympian. She asked him why he had them all. His reply was “Because your mother sent them all to me!”
This act, whilst it may seem small, resulted in the doctor changing what he said when he diagnosed other children and young adults with the same condition. The smallest acts can create the largest impact.
Remember the small acts, for they are not so small.