Motor impairment: introduction
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Warning: The original version of this document is Motor disabilities: Introduction . This French translation was done by Ideose as part of an agreement between WebAIM and Ideose .
Note: See page documents on web accessibility for a list of all translated documents. Other resources on web accessibility are also listed in the portal accessible digital .
Summary
- You are on Page 1: Introduction
- Page 2: The categories of motor disability
- Page 3: Assistive technology
Understanding disability engine ...
Many of you may recall Christopher Reeve, known as an actor, and later to his state of quadriplegia and his tireless activism in favor of research on spinal cord injury.
Mr. Reeve was thrown from a horse in 1995 during an equestrian competition, leaving him completely paralyzed on his full height to the neck due to spinal cord.
Over the 10 years following his injury until his death in 2004 he had regained some mobility and sensation, but not enough to be able to use a computer without assistive technology.
When he was asked in an interview via a chat if he considered the Internet as a useful tool for people with disabilities in our society called? "Mr. Reeve said:
"Yes. And, literally, a lifeline for many disabled people. I have Dragon Dictate. And while I was in rehabilitation, I have learned to exploit it by voice. I enjoyed being able to correspond with friends and strangers in this way. Many disabled people spend long hours alone. The computers are controlled by the voice communication means which can help combat feelings of isolation. "
Have you ever thought about the Internet as a tool "essential" or "a lifesaver" for many people with disabilities? Think about it a minute. There are some things that people with disabilities simply can not do. But, they can use a computer connected to the world via the Internet and gain a high degree of independence. They can read newspapers, look for areas of interest, purchase products and access to the world, at least potentially. They are independent as long as the sites they want to access have been made accessible to persons with disabilities.
Mr. Reeve was blessed with a voice quite understandable to be treated by a speech recognition software. This is not the case of all persons with mobility impairments and some may not benefit from this technology, but there are many other assistive technologies that can help people. We will present these technologies, as well as certain types of motor impairment.
(Learn more about Christopher Reeve and his support for research on spinal cord by visiting the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation )
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