Technology can broaden the horizons of disabled youngsters
ALEXA, Google, Echo – all fascinating bits of AI (artificial intelligence) technology that makes our lives easier. We don’t need to get up to find out a weather report or to change the music. But for young people with complex disabilities and learning difficulties, this new technology is liberating.
At National Star, a specialist college for young people with complex disabilities and learning difficulties, 22 per cent of students use what we call assistive technology – electronic communication devices that become their voice.
We can connect a student’s electronic communication device so that Alexa can play their favourite music, switch on lights, call their mum and even turn on the TV. These are small tasks that most of us take for granted but for those who, due to disability,
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must ask for help for practically everything, this technology is empowering.
What National Star does is take this off-the-shelf technology and adapt it to enable students to use it to improve their lives. We have to be creative as students use a variety of methods to use the technology, including straightforward iPads or controlling their communication with their eye movement (think of Professor Stephen Hawking) or a switch they control with a head movement or with their wrists.
These young people often struggle to find a voice or fit into society in the same way their peers do. At National Star, they feel safe to develop and express themselves and always have compassionate people around them to listen. They grow in confidence and in self-expression.
My goal as their tutor is to make them ready for the challenges life will throw at them. There is, however, always a nagging thought in the back of my mind for their future. Will they have the same stimulus and social engagement or be left feeling lonely?
This week, we were fortunate to see the latest in robotic technology and virtual reality, thanks to a visit from Jisc, the UK’s education technology solutions not-for-profit.
Jisc brought a humanoid robot called Pepper, which can respond to movement, touch and questions. Pepper was a hit – how could she fail not to be? For students who have autism, virtual reality and robots provide the opportunity to communicate without the complex emotional layers.
Loneliness in young people with disabilities is a growing problem. A recent survey by the charity Scope found that 85 per cent of young disabled adults (18- to 34-year-olds) feel lonely.
Humanoid robots such as Pepper may have been developed with retail, advice, education and product promotion in mind, but I feel their real potential lies in combating this loneliness and broadening the horizons of young people with disabilities.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if these young people always had an ear who would listen? Or the ability to discover new opportunities without relying solely on their carers?
Technology is not the panacea for the rising issues around care and support, but it can plan a role in improving quality of life and to help young people with disabilities and learning difficulties to develop connections.