What is assistive technology in user experience design?

Overview

User experience design processes always make the users the most important concern in product design processes. Accessibility means making a product device more usable and accessible to many individuals in a society. It means including persons with disabilities that hinder them from using certain products and providing a solution that aids them in accessing products like every other person.

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is a tool that enhances the accessibility of a product. This means when we use assistive technology on any product device, we increase the number of people that can use that product device. Adding a screen reader to a mobile device makes it easier to use for visually impaired persons as it converts text-to-speech. The device can still be used as normal for individuals with no disability. So the addition of a screen reader to a device makes the product device more usable for both the visually impaired and normal individuals. This is an increase in accessibility for such product devices. Some of the assistive technology in use include the following features:

Screen readers

This is an assistive technology that helps in reading out text and image contents as speech. It is very useful for persons with visual disabilities.

Switch devices

This is an assistive technology that aids users in performing complex actions with ease. This technology is very useful for people with movement-limiting disabilities as they can carry out several duties at a place without requiring a change in position.

Screen magnifiers

This is an assistive technology that helps in magnifying the text and image contents of a digital screen. It is very useful for individuals with visual impairment.

Voice control

This is an assistive technology that can carry out dictation or voice recognition. It is very useful for people with cognitive disabilities and those who have difficulties using a keyboard or a mouse pad.

Ergonomic keyboard

This is an assistive technology that helps with posture disorder in individuals who frequently make use of the keyboard. The keyboard keys here are arranged in a way that they are always within the reach of the fingers. It is a preventive technology.

Conclusion

Assistive technology is very useful in modern product designs as they help enhance the usability of products. Accessibility is made much more possible by these technology tools. Further examples of assistive technology are audio players and recorders, talking spell-checker, proofreading software, and more.