While out swimming in the ocean on vacation, a big wave caught [QuadWorker], pushed him head first into the sand, and left him paralyzed from the neck down. This talk isn’t about injury or recovery, though. It’s about the day-to-day tech that makes him able to continue living, working, and travelling, although in new ways. And it’s a fantastic first-hand insight into how assistive technology works for him.
If you can only move your head, how do you control a computer? Surprisingly well! A white dot on [QuadWorker]’s forehead is tracked by a commodity webcam and some software, while two button bumpers to the left and right of his head let him click with a second gesture. For cell phones, a time-dependent scanner app allows him to zero in successively on the X and Y coordinates of where he’d like to press. And naturally voice recognition software is a lifesaver. In the talk, he live-demos sending a coworker a text message, and it’s almost as fast as I could go. Shared whiteboards allow him to work from home most of the time, and a power wheelchair and adapted car let him get into the office as well.
The lack of day-to-day independence is the hardest for him, and he says that they things he misses most are being able to go to the bathroom, and also to scratch himself when he gets itchy – and these are yet unsolved problems. But other custom home hardware also plays an important part in [QuadWorker]’s setup. For instance, all manner of home automation allows him to control the lights, the heat, and the music in his home. Voice-activated light switches are fantastic when you can’t use your arms.
This is a must-watch talk if you’re interested in assistive tech, because it comes direct from the horse’s mouth – a person who has tried a lot, and knows not only what works and what doesn’t, but also what’s valuable. It’s no surprise that the people whose lives most benefit from assistive tech would also be most interested in it, and have their hacker spirit awakened. We’re reminded a bit of the Eyedrivomatic, which won the 2015 Hackaday Prize and was one of the most outstanding projects both from and for the quadriplegic community.
It’s not sufficiently descriptive. If the injury were lower so he could use his arms this article wouldn’t make any sense but he would still fit your description. Likewise what if it wasn’t a complete break, only reduced strength and agility? Would that make sense in this article? Would it still fit your preferred wording?
That brings us to the point in the conversation where the PC pusher usually comes up with a whole sentence to describe the situation where a single word did the job previously. And that’s why it doesn’t catch on outside of certain groups. Most people don’t like replacing words with sentences in their day to day speech.
That doesn’t invalidate the “not defining people by their disabilities” point. Maybe instead saying one is “a quadriplegic” they could be “with quadriplegia” or “with quad” for short. But I’ve never heard anyone say that so good luck.
Or.. just don’t look at it that way. Each and every one of us is “a ____” where ____ can be any one of a lot of things and still be true. Being “a thing” doesn’t mean that thing completely defines you as a person.
Given that his self-chosen nick is [QuadWorker], I really don’t think he minds.
I am also startint a push in 2024 to stop defining by profession. Eg. Rather than calling someone a “lawyer” please use the more humanizing, “person who practices law” (and goes without saying, IANAL)
How on Earth can he legally drive a car?
With a license :-D
He installed a driver, I guess. /s
*BaDumTss* ;-)
Thanks for that chuckle.
I haven’t watched the video but there is a shocking amount of technology that can be used to assist disabled drivers.
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
C. S. Lewis
Have you considered that these people may not be interested in your “help”, because it actually makes their life harder?
Who’s tyrannizing anybody here? What on earth does it have to do with the article? What a load of absolute nonsense.
That is why we need to continue research into assistive technologies. It is good that those affected are asked what they really need.
It’s also a reason we need to keep research into medical technology to allow us to cure people in this position. Assistive technology is wonderful but people being returned to normal function is even better.
there is no such thing as “normal function” that’s pure eugenic/supremacists nonsense not reality. you really need to unlearn the belief that just because they live differently means they are lesser.
honestly its disgusting…
there is no correct way of living, what matters is making peoples lives easier to achieve their needs not forcing them into your utterly meaningless and baseless box of perfection. i know you think you’re helping but what you’re really doing is insulting and dehumanizing them. we are quickly a point in time were baseline “normal function” humans will start to be seen as the “lesser” form of human experiences
Note to editors. When you delete a comment, the number of comments still doesn’t change.
Also why was my comment humanizing a person with disability deleted?!
Sometimes they just “hold” a comment until it is reviewed.
No idea! Perhaps your tone/intention was misconstrued? (It wasn’t me.)
But I went and found your comment, and your point is taken, and I’ll update the title.
Much respect thank you (tips hat)
Technology or not, people in these situations, that find ANY way to keep going through life, are heroes in my book. It’s a little different if you’re born with whatever physical shortcomings you may have. But when you’re accustomed to having your full compliment of abilities and then suddenly you don’t . . . . wow. Peak courage.
Probably gonna get deleted anyway: As a physician that works with disabled people daily, the current thing to do is use the term “people with disabilities” rather than as “a quadriplegic,” it humanizes them and does not define a person as their disability.
anyway, thanks.
I also am a person with disabilities but due to multiple sclerosis. I also have quadriplegia and I drive my power wheelchair – control the seat functions with my head using an accelerometer, mounted on a hairband. I have been using this device since 2000 with great satisfaction. Link to it here: https://magitek.com/
That is very cool! Thanks.