Rehabilitative and assistive technology refers to tools, equipment, or products that can help a person with a disability to function successfully at school, home, work, and in the community. Disabilities are disorders, diseases, health conditions, or injuries that affect an individual’s physical, intellectual, or mental well-being. Rehabilitative and assistive technologies can help people with disabilities to function more easily in their everyday lives and can also make it easier for a caregiver to care for a disabled person. The term “rehabilitative technology” is sometimes used to refer to aids used to help people recover their functioning after injury or illness. “Assistive technologies” may be as simple as a magnifying glass to improve visual perception or as complex as a computerized communication system.
Some of these technologies are made possible through rehabilitative engineering research, which is the application of engineering and scientific principles to study how people with disabilities function in society. It includes studying barriers to optimal function and designing solutions so that people with disabilities can interact successfully in their environments.
The NICHD houses the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). The NCMRR has helped to advance scientific knowledge about disabilities and rehabilitation, while also providing vital support and focus for the field of medical rehabilitation to help ensure the health, independence, productivity, and quality of life of all people.
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Fast Facts
Common Names
- Accessible technology
- Adaptive devices or equipment
- Assistive devices and technology
- Communication aids
- Independent living aids
- Mobility aids
- Prosthetics
- Rehabilitation robotics
- Wheelchairs
- Medical rehabilitative aids and devices
- Rehabilitative engineering
Number of People Who Benefit from Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that:
- One in five Americans—about 53 million people—has a disability of some kind.
- 33 million Americans have a disability that makes it difficult for them to carry out daily activities; some of them have challenges with everyday activities, such as attending school or going to work, and may need help with their daily care.
- 2.2 million people in the United States depend on a wheelchair for day-to-day tasks and mobility.
- 6.5 million people use a cane, a walker, or crutches to assist with their mobility.
Role of Rehabilitative and Assistive Technology
Disabilities range from mild to severe and affect people’s functioning to different extents. Various rehabilitative and assistive technologies can help people compensate for impaired functioning or can assist with the rehabilitation process to help people recover from disease or injury. As technology advances and as scientists’ understanding of the human mind and body expands, assistive devices are becoming ever more sophisticated and better able to compensate for the effects of aging, disease, injury, or congenital conditions.