Assistive tech has solutions
dubai — Hasan and Zahra, aged 9 and 8 respectively, suffer from cerebral palsy.
Yet, the children can have a conversation, using Assistive Technology (AT) that compensates for a student’s skills deficits or area(s) of disability. Both students of Al Noor Training Centre in Dubai, along with a bunch of fellow people of determination, welcomed visitors using AT at a press conference announcing an assistive technology initiative at the centre, from October 29 to November 3, 2017.
Displaying confidence, Hasan used a motorised wheelchair to escort visitors around the centre and also used an adapted keyboard to present some videos of the centre. He was seen using an adaptive, heightened plate to feed himself while conversing with Zahra, who cannot speak at all yet used a customised communication app on her tablet to reply to Hasan.
Another autistic student with communication difficulties welcomed the guests using a speechto-text app and his peer with limb weakness used an adapted DSLR
Al Noor Assistive TechX event includes the region’s first Hackathon for special needs.” Isphana Al Khatib, director, Al Noor Training Centre
camera to take pictures of the audience. With that, Al Noor Training Centre in Dubai, on Monday displayed how it has made AT part of its intervention goals.
This was just a preview of what to expect at Al Noor Assistive TechX 2017 to be held at Al Noor Training Centre in Al Barsha. Isphana Al Khatib, director of the centre said: “The event includes the region’s first Hackathon for special needs (on October 29-30) to identify ‘real people with real challenges’ for whom their teams will be hacking for solutions.”
The initiative will be made up of five interactive areas available to all attendees. These will include workshops for parents/caregivers and conferences for professionals in the field of special needs; an exhibition of latest AT equipment; and a free robotics workshop for children over 8, with a focus on special needs solutions.
saman@khaleejtimes.com