Assistive technology and computer adaptations for individuals with spinal cord injury | Knowledge Translation for Employment Research Center

Authors:	Assistive technology and computer adaptations for individuals with spinal cord injury
Year Published	2004
Publication	NeuroRehabilitation
Volume	19
Number	2
Pages	141-146
Publisher	IOS Press
Background	Spinal cord injury (SCI) commonly occurs when individuals are forming their vocational goals, resulting in low post-injury employment rates and higher costs to society. Individuals with SCI who are employed have improved quality of life. Assistive technology, often available at modest cost, can help individuals with SCI to compensate for functional limitations, overcome barriers to employability, enhance technical capacities and computer utilization, and improve ability to compete for gainful employment.
Purpose	Studies have shown that return to work for individuals after a spinal cord injury are low. Other studies have shown that individuals with SCI who are employed report a better quality of life. One barrier to returning to work is a decreased scope of work skills due to physical limitations from the SCI. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the successful return to work of three individuals with SCI using assistive technology and computer adaptations.
Setting	One individual received his evaluation in an acute rehabilitation center. One individual was evaluated at his workplace. The other setting for the third case study was not specified in the article.
Sample	Three males with SCI ages 23, 27, and 41. All three had cervical level injuries to include C3, C6, and C7.
Data Collection	Each individual received a computer accommodation evaluation that guided the selection of the assistive technology.
Control	There was no control or comparison condition.
Findings	Assistive technology can help individuals with SCI to compensate for functional limitations, overcome barriers to employability, enhance technical capacities and computer use, and improve ability to compete for employment.
Conclusions	The authors conclude that an important goal for SCI rehabilitation includes maximizing vocational potential including the evaluation and application of computer and assistive technology.
URL	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15201473
Disabilities
Populations	Black / African American \| White / Caucasian \| Male
Outcomes	Return to work
NIDILRR Funded	Yes
Research Design	Case reports
Peer Reviewed	Yes

Year Published

2004

Publication

NeuroRehabilitation

Volume

19

Number

2

Pages

141-146

Publisher

IOS Press

Background

Spinal cord injury (SCI) commonly occurs when individuals are forming their vocational goals, resulting in low post-injury employment rates and higher costs to society. Individuals with SCI who are employed have improved quality of life. Assistive technology, often available at modest cost, can help individuals with SCI to compensate for functional limitations, overcome barriers to employability, enhance technical capacities and computer utilization, and improve ability to compete for gainful employment.

Purpose

Studies have shown that return to work for individuals after a spinal cord injury are low. Other studies have shown that individuals with SCI who are employed report a better quality of life. One barrier to returning to work is a decreased scope of work skills due to physical limitations from the SCI. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the successful return to work of three individuals with SCI using assistive technology and computer adaptations.

Setting

One individual received his evaluation in an acute rehabilitation center. One individual was evaluated at his workplace. The other setting for the third case study was not specified in the article.

Sample

Three males with SCI ages 23, 27, and 41. All three had cervical level injuries to include C3, C6, and C7.

Data Collection

Each individual received a computer accommodation evaluation that guided the selection of the assistive technology.

Control

There was no control or comparison condition.

Findings

Assistive technology can help individuals with SCI to compensate for functional limitations, overcome barriers to employability, enhance technical capacities and computer use, and improve ability to compete for employment.

Conclusions

The authors conclude that an important goal for SCI rehabilitation includes maximizing vocational potential including the evaluation and application of computer and assistive technology.

URL

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15201473

Disabilities

Populations

Black / African American | White / Caucasian | Male

Outcomes

Return to work

NIDILRR Funded

Yes

Research Design

Case reports

Peer Reviewed

Yes