  |
|
|
|
The Continuing Saga of "Stuck" Living in the State of Stuck: How Assistive Technology Impacts the Lives of People with Disabilities (3rd Ed.) By Marcia J. Scherer, 2000 Cambridge, MA: Brookline Books ISBN: 1-57129-079-6 $24.95
Marcia Scherer recently released the third edition of her book Living in the State of Stuck: How Assistive Technology Impacts the Lives of People with Disabilities For those not familiar with the first two editions, this book began as a recount of Scherer's qualitative study of the impact of technology on the lives of individuals with disabilities, comparing the experiences those with congenital disabilities and those with acquired disabilities. Rather than concluding her research and going on with her career, Scherer kept in contact with the people she interviewed. In 1996, she updated us on the lives of these people, and here in 2000, she once again bring us up-to-date. Therefore, she gives us a rare, detailed, longitudinal view of the lives of people and the roller coaster ride of disability and technology. Scherer's first important conclusion from her research is that AT is not a panacea for all difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities. While many of the people she interviewed gained some level of independence by using AT, they still experienced frustration, depression, and isolation. For example, although technology helped one man with cerebral palsy gain employment, he still searched for a woman he could love who would love him back. Companionship, friendship, and intimacy were missing from the lives of many of the people in the book. Scherer's portrayal of this aspect of the lives of her interviewees reminds us that we must consider the entire scope of needs of individuals with disabilities, not just their independence and productivity. The second important lesson of this book is that a person-centered approach is vital to individual's using AT rather than abandoning it. Each person's definitions of "rehabilitation success" and "quality of life" must be determined and honored by professionals in goal setting. If we ignore these factors, focussing on the traditional goals of rehabilitation and society's definition of success, any AT will likely be abandoned because it does not bring the person closer to his or her vision of success and a "quality" life. Over the years, Scherer has refined her model for Matching the Person to Technology (MPT). In this new edition of Stuck provides a worksheet that asks individuals with disabilities with define their goals and needs in eight areas: communication, mobility, vision, hearing, literacy, household activities, self care, and recreational/social activities. From these, individuals are encouraged to set goals for their AT journey. Checklists are also included in which individuals with disabilities can prioritize their preferences regarding AT service providers and questions they can ask to determine whether a specific device meets his or her needs. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article The Continuing Saga of "Stuck" in Assistive Technology is owned by . Permission to republish The Continuing Saga of "Stuck" in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
