Envisioning Access Pioneers Technological Breakthroughs for People with Physical Disabilities

Imagine you are in your mid-thirties ascending in your career and building the life you have always hoped for when you start to experience blurred vision and extremity numbness. Days later, your legs give out as you are starting your day. In this moment, your life changes forever.
 
Picture that you are driving along a country road when a drunk driver hits your vehicle, sending you and your family into a stone wall, causing injuries which result in permanent paralysis. In an instant, your life changes forever.
 
Approximately 1.3 billion people or 16% of the global population lives with a disability. In the United States alone, 26% of Americans live with some type of disability, and of that 26%, 13.7% of the population have a mobility issue. Given this, millions of adults require some form of facilitation from a medical or assistive device, implement or robotic aide. This could be anything from prosthetic implements, to functional robotics or walking wheelchairs, medical mobility aids and ambulatory devices, or even virtual reality systems, providing for telehealth, product development-based focus groups and collaboration or even, core socialization. The current product functionality can be limited and the costs can be prohibitive, yet the possibilities for heightened design consideration, early-stage development optimization and increased user acceptance in working collaboratively are endless.

Providing Technologically Innovative Solutions to People Living with Physical Disabilities

 At Envisioning Access Inc., a Boston, MA based 501 C3 nonprofit organization founded in 1979, we know that the best person to influence the development of new medical products coming on the market are the individuals who will use them. Envisioning Access, formerly known as Helping Hands: Monkey Helpers, was founded originally to assist those living with physical disabilities by providing trained capuchin monkeys as service animals to assist with daily living needs. We ceased training and placing the capuchin in homes as of 2021 due to regulatory, market, and technology changes.
 
Today, Envisioning Access is undergoing a dynamic transition from a service animal supportive model to providing technologically innovative solutions to those living with physical disabilities. At this time, we are conducting pilot projects in the areas of assistive tech/robotics and augmented/virtual/mixed reality. These platforms are heavily influenced and functionally aided via critical input from our networks and access to the patient populations that will most benefit from the technologies in addition to university and independent organization collaborations. Based upon our 40+ years of experience in optimizing what works and what will not work for those living with mobility disabilities, we are uniquely positioned to provide expert knowledge, support and access to real time evaluation and insight with the mutual goal of enhancing accessibility products and programs.
 
The World Health Organization has published data to illustrate that the number of people living with disabilities is steadily increasing. Globally aging populations hold an increased risk of disability and of chronic health conditions associated with disabilities. An estimated 66.5% of disabilities in low-mid -income countries are based upon chronic diseases. Patterns of disability in a specific country may be influenced by trends in health and environmental conditions as well as other factors such as road traffic accidents, natural disaster, conflicts/violence, diet and substance abuse.
 
According to the online Vantage Market Research, “The Global Assistive Technology Market was valued at USD 21.8 Billion in 2021 and is projected to reach a value of USD 28.8 Billion by 2028. The Global Market is anticipated to grow to exhibit a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.8% over the forecast period.”
 
Current medtech market trends and innovative platforms, such as wearable and connected devices, prosthetic aids, medical robotics and AI as well as, virtual/augmented and mixed reality initiatives are pertinent to the recipient base we partner with and support.

Supporting the Development of Novel New Technologies

While many of our clients may use some commercially available adaptive device, our mission is to engage with the medtech community in support of the development of novel new technologies that will provide those living with physical disabilities the greatest access to independence at all levels. The technology and the scope of what can be accomplished through partnerships with all pertinent stakeholders means the possibilities are endless, allowing for more recipient focused and targeted technology development in this area, an expansive network of interested and pertinent human factors recipient groups and a strong support networking reimbursement advocacy.
 
Having already begun our transformational process, we are honored to be at the forefront of exploratory work with a Boston based university and their robotics programs. Many of their human support robots are only tested on able bodied students. Recognizing the crucial factor in this ongoing development is pertinent end-user feedback and subsequent verification of the technology’s benefit. Envisioning Access is able to align all stakeholder needs through the introduction and participation of one of our client partners. In this particular case, we are able to connect the needs of an older male adult with multiple sclerosis and his wife, who is his primary care giver, with the assistive robotics technology focused program leads, in order to provide end-user feedback regarding the efficiency, accuracy, comfort and performance of the robotic technology.
 
As an organization who has worked closely with those living with physical disabilities since 1979, we recognize that it is imperative that an assistive device works effectively for both the client and their care giver.  This early-stage pilot project is helping to not only improve the technology and functionality of the product, but also serves to aid the developers in gaining real time end user awareness, verification of effectiveness, enhanced development recommendations and suggestions for optimization in support of real-use situations.
 
Another focus technology for Envisioning Access is virtual reality, which provides a multitude of interesting opportunities. For those living with physical disabilities VR can provide an incredibly liberating experience, yet it has also proven to be potentially limiting to specific population groups, thus becoming frustrating and sometimes challenging to handle.
 
An example of this can be further illustrated based upon one of our client’s recent experiences, a 31-year-old male with a spinal cord injury, who has long considered VR gaming a comforting interactive experience bringing him a heightened sense of joy. As a result of his neck down paralysis, he can no longer access the tools he historically was able to use  to engage in this VR world. VR, of course, is more than just games. For many, especially those who may not be able to leave home, or with limited access to transportation, it is a critical means of socialization, telemedicine appointments, business and/or educational opportunities. However, if one cannot use the hand controls or physically put the headset on one’s head due to mobility constraints, then this brilliant and potentially crucial technology is no longer a viable option.
 
As a result of our ongoing collaboration efforts, our client is working with VR platform developers to enable a wider range of accessibility and core technology optimization, with the goal of enhanced accessibility so anyone can use, enjoy and benefit from the quickly progressing innovative aspects of the technology.
 
These are but two examples of how, with our over 40 years of knowledge, we are supporting the technology advancements and influencing the next generation of assistive devices and disability focused technological optimization. Those of us who work, live, and interact with those living with physical disabilities daily know that access is the goal. Working in conjunction with innovation focused medtech companies, universities, and most significantly, the critical end-user, coupled with Envisioning Access’ historical knowledge, experience and expertise in this space will result in quickly successive leap-frog technologies and critically pertinent, improved quality of life product enhancements.
 

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Khristine Carroll, is a longstanding executive level veteran to the medtech industry and currently holds the position of General Manager for ElectroChem—An Integer Holdings Company.
 
Diane S. Nahabedian is a senior level non-profit executive. She is currently the executive director of Envisioning Access Inc. in Boston, MA.