TABLE OF CONTENTS Albert M. Cook
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
This chapter is about the design of electronic assistive devices and the roles they play in the lives of people who have disabilities. It is also a chapter about the role that rehabilitation engineers play in the design and application of these devices and the unique design constraints placed on them in meeting the needs of people who have disabilities. Electronic assistive technologies have a relatively brief history that parallels the development of electronics in general. However, the key to successful application of electronic assistive devices for persons who have disabilities lies in the development of a thorough understanding of the needs that the person has, the context in which the technology will be used, and the skills that the person brings to the task.
Rehabilitation engineering can be described as the design, development, and application of engineering methods and devices to amelioration of the problems faced by persons who have disabilities. Future developments in assistive technologies and the successful application of these technologies to meet the needs of people who have disabilities will be driven by the combination of rapid technological advances and the requirement to meet the needs of persons with disabilities.
