What Is Assistive Technology?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Discover how assistive technology enhances the capabilities of people with disabilities and improves their well-being.

[Featured image] A UX designer is researching on a desktop the types of assistive technology they'll need to incorporate into a product.

Key Takeaways

Assistive technology refers to any hardware, software, or system designed to help improve the functional capabilities of individuals living with disabilities.

  • Assistive technology is any hardware, software, or system that might help improve the capabilities of someone with disabilities.

  • Solutions can be low-tech, high-tech, or no-tech and range from simple communication boards to complex prosthetics or computer programs.

  • You can learn how to work with assistive technology by learning more about user experience (UX) design.

Read on to learn more about who benefits from assistive technology and view specific examples of these devices. Then, encourage your professional growth and build your skills by enrolling in the Google UX Design Professional Certificate on Coursera.

What Is Assistive Technology?

Assistive technology (AT) refers to any hardware, software, or tool designed to improve or enhance the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. These solutions include "low-tech" tools like simple communication boards and "high-tech" innovations like advanced prosthetics or specialized computer programs.

Because user experience (UX) design focuses on making intuitive, user-friendly products, it often involves creating and perfecting assistive technology and making products more accessible. Implementing assistive technology increases the number of people who can use it, and UX designers can help develop this technology.

Who benefits from assistive technology? 

Assistive technology benefits people with a wide variety of needs, such as: 

  • Physical Disabilities: People with mobility challenges, visual impairments, speech difficulties, or hearing loss.

  • Cognitive & Developmental Conditions: Individuals living with autism, dementia, learning disorders, or cognitive delays.

  • The Aging Population: Older adults experiencing natural functional decline who want to maintain their autonomy.

Assistive technology examples

Assistive technology can range from a wheelchair to help someone with mobility issues to software that reads out loud for people with impaired vision. Some common examples include: 

  • Screen readers and magnifiers: Tools that assist users with visual impairments by enlarging digital text or reading it aloud.

  • Ergonomic keyboard: Specialized layouts that allow individuals with chronic pain, arthritis, or motor restrictions to type without strain.

  • Switch devices: Alternative input devices (like buttons or sip-and-puff systems) that allow people with limited mobility to navigate computers and operate machinery.

  • Braille keyboards: Hardware that enables blind or visually impaired individuals to type and communicate effectively.

  • Portable closed caption systems: Mobile devices that provide real-time text for people with hearing impairments, allowing them to engage fully in daily conversations and events. 

  • Speech output software: Text-to-speech programs that give a voice to individuals who cannot communicate verbally.

What is an example of assistive technology?

Mobile aids like wheelchairs and scooters, listening aids like hearing aids and cochlear implants, visual aids like braille displays and electronic glasses, and daily living aids like adaptive kitchen tools and dressing aids are all examples of assistive technology. They help users with activities of daily living and other circumstances. The aging population and its demand for care, paired with advances in recent technology, could lead to improvements in the types of assistive technology available. 

What are some benefits of creating more assistive technology devices?

The main benefit of creating more assistive technology is increasing access for a more significant number of people, however there are also more specific benefits. For example, an older person who has access to assistive technology may remain independent for a longer period of time. Certain types of assistive technology may help prevent the advancement of conditions or diseases. Other examples may help increase employment or education access for people with disabilities.

The Impact of Designing Assistive Technology

While the overarching goal of assistive technology is inclusion, its specific benefits can transform daily life. For older adults, the right technology can mean remaining independent in their homes for years longer. For others, assistive tools can halt the frustration of a degenerative condition, open doors to higher education, and unlock career opportunities that were previously inaccessible.

Key UX Concepts in Assistive Design

To build effective assistive technology, UX designers rely on several core methodologies:

  • Pain Points: Identifying the specific barriers a user faces.

  • Human Factors: Understanding how the human body and mind interact with technology.

  • Empathy & Cognitive Maps: Visual tools designers use to understand what a user feels, thinks, and experiences.

  • Prototypes: Early, experimental models of a product used to test and refine accessibility features.

Learn how to create assistive technology with UX design and Google 

If you want a rewarding career dedicated to helping others and building a more inclusive world, UX design is the perfect path. Explore these free resources to keep learning about UX:

Whether you want to develop a new skill, get comfortable with an in-demand technology, or advance your abilities, keep growing with a Coursera Plus subscription. You’ll get access to over 10,000 flexible courses.

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