Foundational Books 2

“The purpose of the present Convention is to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.” –United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disability

If Dr. Therese Willkomm is our direct inspiration for helping people and our source of urgency (“Do it now! Do it today!”), Assistive Technologies (Cook, Polgar, & Encarnação) is our guide to understanding the complex structure of the AT ecosystem. It is comprehensive in its coverage, provides exceptional documentation for people new to the field (including key regulatory documents), all while retaining a constant focus on the dignity of the people being served by AT.

A key feature of Assistive Technologies is the conceptual framework the authors use to help articulate the roles and responsibilities of AT practitioners: the Human Activity Assistive Technology Model or HAAT. Importantly, this model places a strong emphasis on people-centric design and service, which are focus areas for ARC. “A consistent process for product design and recommendation recognizes the importance of understanding the activity the person wants and needs to perform, the capabilities of the individual, and the influence of the different aspects of the context on device acquisition and use.”