Assistive Technology for the people with disability
Takuro Hatakeyama
Taipei of Taiwan
June 3-5, 1999(This is an oral paper without slides)
Prologue and Subject 1Thank you very much for your kind introduction.
I am very pleased and honored to be here, today.
Ms Denis Lai (or Mr. Kevin Gallager) mentioned, I am engaged in the Division of Rehabilitation Engineering of Yokohama Rehabilitation Center.At this time seminar, I will talk 6 subjects about Assistive Technology.
1. Outline of the Yokohama Rehabilitation Center and the clinical Engineering Services
2. Computer & Communication and Environmental Control System for the people with severe physical disability.
3. Introduction of a progressive muscular dystrophy patient's life and a ALS patient's life with using the assistive devices
4. Assistive Technology for the people with mental retardation (include being at work, employment).
5. The importance of teamwork for assessment and implementation of technical aids.
6. Funding. How Assistive technology, is funded in the Yokohama area? Also how is the design of assistive aids funded?Yokohama is located in almost the middle of Japan where a 30-minute-drive by car takes you to central Tokyo.
Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan with the population of 3,300,000.The city is known as an old port town, which had started to engage in foreign trade 130 years ago.
This is Yokohama Rehabilitation Center where I work.
The center was founded in 1987 as a core facility for community-oriented rehabilitation system for the disabled people in Yokohama, which aims to optimize the living status of disabled clients.
Home-visiting ProgramOne of the characteristics of our center is home visiting rehabilitation program involving multiple specialists.
Our rehabilitation engineering service has been developed in close relationship to this home-visiting program.
This is because we, the engineers need to see clients at their home in order to develop and provide appropriate Assistive devices.
Home visiting-teamThe home visiting-team consists of a physician, a physical therapist or an occupational therapist, a social worker, and a rehabilitation engineer.
A speech pathologist and a nurse are also available upon request.This picture shows our staff making a home-visit.
The client's wife and our staff are discussing the best avenues of access to the road from the client's house on the hill.
The Division of Rehabilitation Engineering of Yokohama Rehabilitation Center consists of ten engineers whose expertise is in mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, and architect.The division has five areas of concentration.
They are housing, mobility, seating, communication and environmental control, and recreation and sports.I would like to show you the videotape about Clinical Engineering Services in Yokohama Rehab Center.
Please start the videotape.Our services were started in 1988.
Since 1988, the number of services kept on increasing.
At the present time, the division manages more 500 cases per year.This picture shows a percentage of a content of services.
The house modification service account for close to a forth of the whole services.
Next, Transfer Aid, Mobility Aid, Seating, Computer & Communication, Environmental Control and Sports & Recreation.
For instance, Computer Communication needs is less than House Modification, but I don't think that the house modification is important than Computer communication.
Generally speaking, for the Computer & Communication and Environmental Control need most close services than other needs.
The reason is that almost clients have most severe physical disability.
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