Foundations: types of assistive technology and adaptive strategies
Posted on by Demelza Feltham in Design and development
This post provides an overview of common assistive technologies (AT) used by people with seeing, hearing, moving, and thinking disabilities. It also explains what adaptive strategies are, and how these approaches work together to support accessibility and inclusive experiences.
AT are tools that support people with disabilities in accomplishing tasks that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. These tools can take the form of software, hardware, or a combination of both, such as screen readers, magnifiers, speech recognition software, browser adjustments, adaptive keyboards, head pointers, switches, and eye-tracking devices.
According to the World Health Organization:
...most people will need assistive technology at some point in their lives, especially as they age. While some may require assistive technology temporarily, such as after an accident or illness, others may require it for a longer period or throughout their lifespan.
Assistive technologies
AT bridges the gap between a person’s abilities and the tasks they want or need to do. It removes barriers and opens doors to greater independence, inclusion, and opportunity. For many, these tools are not just helpful, they are essential. They enable full participation in education, employment, daily routines, and social life, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to connect with the world around them.
Adaptive strategies
Not all disabilities require specialised devices. Sometimes, adjustments, known as adaptive strategies, are all that’s needed to support access and engagement. These might include turning on captions, enlarging text, or customising display settings. Whether through high-tech solutions or everyday adaptations, the goal remains the same; to support autonomy, dignity, and equal access for all.
AT and strategies by disability group
There’s often a narrow assumption that AT only refers to tools like screen readers. While screen readers are indeed essential for people who are blind or have low vision, they don’t support the needs of everyone. For example, someone with a hearing disability wouldn’t benefit from a screen reader, but might rely on captioning tools or visual alerts instead. Different disabilities require different types of AT and adaptive strategies, and in this section, we’ll explore the range of tools used by people with different types of disability to support access, communication, and participation.
People often use a combination of assistive technologies and adaptive strategies, which may change depending on the task or context. Whilst this list highlights some commonly used tools, it represents only a portion of the AT that exist, the field continues to grow, offering a wide and evolving range of innovative solutions.
Seeing
People with seeing disabilities refers to disabilities related to vision, which affect a person's ability to see.
Screen readers
A screen reader is a software application that converts digital text on a screen into synthesised speech, enabling people to access and interact with digital content non-visually. Common examples include JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. Screen readers are essential tools for people who are blind or have low vision, allowing them to navigate their devices and engage with content through audio feedback.
Braille displays
A braille display is a tactile device that works in conjunction with a screen reader to convert on-screen text into braille. It uses a series of small, refreshable pins that rise and fall to form braille characters, enabling people who are blind to read digital content through touch. Braille displays offer real-time access to text; however, these devices are often expensive, making them financially inaccessible for many people.
Screen magnifiers
A screen magnifier is a software tool that enlarges the content displayed on a screen, making it easier to see for people with low vision. It allows people to zoom in on content, and often includes features like colour contrast adjustments and focus tracking to enhance visibility and reduce eye strain.
Smart glasses
Smart glasses that can appear as regular glasses with clear lenses, or sunglasses are categorised as a wearable. These devices use cameras, audio output, and sometimes Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide real-time information about the environment. For people who are blind or have low vision, smart glasses can assist with tasks like reading text aloud, identifying objects or people, recognising scenes, and navigating unfamiliar spaces. Some models, like Envision Glasses or OrCam MyEye, are specifically designed as assistive tools, while others, like Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, can be adapted with AI apps to offer helpful visual information through audio feedback. One of our directors, Léonie Watson, writes about her experience using the Ray Ban Meta smart glasses here.
Keyboard shortcuts
Browsing with a keyboard and using key combinations allows people who are blind or have low vision to quickly navigate and perform tasks without relying on a mouse or touchpad. Keyboard shortcuts offer an efficient, non-visual method of navigating digital interfaces. By reducing the need to locate icons or menu items visually, keyboard shortcuts provide a faster, more consistent way to access functions, especially when used in combination with screen readers or memorised navigation patterns.
High contrast mode
High contrast mode is a visual display setting that enhances the distinction between foreground and background colours to improve readability. It often uses bright text, such as white or yellow, on a dark background, or the reverse, to make text and interface elements easier to see. This mode is especially helpful for individuals with low vision, glare sensitivity, or colour perception difficulties, as it reduces visual clutter and highlights key content more clearly.
Hearing
People with hearing disabilities refers to disabilities related to hearing, which affect a person's ability to hear.
A note on Deaf and deaf: Capitalised Deaf refers to the cultural identity and shared experiences of the Deaf community. Lowercase deaf describes the physical condition of hearing loss.
Hearing aids
Hearing aids are small electronic devices worn in or behind the ear that amplify sound. They help people with hearing loss hear speech and environmental sounds more clearly by making them louder and more focused.
Cochlear implants
Cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices that bypass damaged parts of the ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve. They provide a sense of sound for people with severe or profound hearing loss who get limited benefits from hearing aids.
Real-time captioning
Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) provides live, human-generated captions for spoken content. It’s often used in classrooms, meetings, or events to make spoken information accessible for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.
Captions or subtitles by default
Watching videos or TV with captions or subtitles is a common strategy to ensure access to spoken content. Many people enable captions by default, whether watching online videos, attending webinars, or streaming entertainment.
Speech-to-text apps
Speech-to-text apps convert spoken words into written text in real time using voice recognition technology. They are useful in everyday conversations, meetings, or phone calls, providing visual access to spoken content.
Written communication
Many people who are Deaf or hard of hearing choose to communicate through written channels like email, text messaging, or chat apps. This strategy avoids the barriers of phone or voice communication and allows for clear, accessible, and asynchronous conversations. Furthermore, modern text messaging has its roots in early text-based tools like the teletypewriter (TTY), which was developed to enable Deaf individuals to communicate with both Deaf and hearing people.
Moving
People with moving disabilities refers to disabilities related to moving, which affect a person's ability to perform physical tasks.
Eye-tracking devices
Eye-tracking devices allow people to control a computer or communication system using only their eye movements. These tools track where a person is looking and translate that into actions like moving a cursor, selecting buttons, or typing text which is useful for individuals with limited or no hand movement.
Switch controls
Switch controls are customisable input devices that let people interact with technology through simple, repeated movements, like pressing a button, puffing into a tube, or tapping their head. They are often used with scanning software to navigate menus or type text, one selection at a time.
Speech recognition software
Browsing with speech recognition allows people to operate devices through spoken commands. Programs like Dragon NaturallySpeaking lets people dictate text, move the cursor, open applications, and browse the web without using their hands which is ideal for people with limited mobility or repetitive strain injuries.
Keyboard shortcuts
Many people browse with a keyboard instead of a mouse to reduce the number of physical movements required. Some also remap keys to easier-to-reach locations or use external programmable keypads for quick access to frequent actions.
Customising the user interface
People may customise user interfaces (UI) to reduce complexity, such as pinning essential apps to the home screen, increasing icon size, or using simplified launcher apps, which minimise the number of taps, clicks, or movements needed to navigate.
Thinking
People with thinking disabilities refers to disabilities related to neurodivergence, which affect a person's ability to process information, communicate and interact socially.
Text-to-speech (TTS)
TTS tools like Natural Reader, Voice Dream Reader, or built-in features on phones and computers read written text aloud. This supports people who have difficulty reading, processing, or comprehending written language.
Speech-to-text and voice dictation
Tools like Google Voice Typing or Dragon NaturallySpeaking convert spoken words into text. These are useful for people who struggle with typing, writing, or spelling.
Reading support
Apps like Immersive Reader (by Microsoft) help people by simplifying text, highlighting words as they're read aloud, and offering picture supports or definitions.
Password managers
Tools like 1Password simplify logins and reduce cognitive load by securely storing and auto filling saved passwords.
Alarms and timers
Using alarms and timers as external memory aids is a way to offload the mental burden of remembering when to do something or how long to do it for some people with thinking disabilities. For example, a person with ADHD may set a 25 minute timer to stay focused on a task, followed by a 5 minute break. This is known as the Pomodoro technique.
Browser extensions or reader modes
For many people with thinking disabilities, such as ADHD, or dyslexia, reading content online can be overwhelming due to cluttered layouts, flashing ads, and inconsistent formatting. A helpful adaptive strategy is using browser tools like reader mode, which simplifies pages by removing distractions and showing only clean text and images, or ad blockers which hide pop-ups and autoplay videos to support focus and limit distraction.
Next steps
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