Five-Year Review of the Technology Liaison Service in Rural and Urban Communities
By O'Sullivan, Conor; Assistive Technology - Shaping the Future: AAATE 2003 Conference Proceedings, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 317-322Publication Date: 2003
Article provides a qualitative review of the Technology Liaison Officers’ (TLO) role in a rural/urban community in the Republic of Ireland. The TLOs are part of the support services offered with assistive technology (AT) assessments and recommendations made in the Client Technical Services division of the Central Remedial Clinic in Dublin. The TLO’s role is discussed in terms of two clients, a service provider, and a TLO regarding the support the service offers to people who use AT. The first client was a female student, age 17, who lived with her parents in a rural setting. A pre-evaluation was conducted by the local TLO and an assessment was provided. The client had poor hand/eye coordination, and an AlphaSmart system with an adaptive mouse and Co:Writer software was recommended. The AT greatly increased her work output in school and reduced the time she spent studying, which was much greater prior to the assessment. A second client was a 54-year-old man who lived outside of a major town. He used a wheelchair, and was interested in making his home environment more successful. The TLO recommended the use of environmental controls for his doors, lights, and phone system. Implications for the future of AT provision by said organization are discussed.
Assistive Products Discussed: CO:WRITER 4000
ALPHASMART 3000 (MODELS AS30, AS30-RC, AS30-IR, & AS30-IR-RC)
Published by: IOS Press (Website:http://www.iospress.nl)
Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe (AAATE) (Web Site: http://www.aaate.net )
ISBN: 1-58603-373-5
