Like a routine maintenance, we never do anything that does not involve technology: checking emails, scrolling down feeds from social networks, watching the latest show, or even communicating through text/video messages. Though we do not constantly consider ourselves less or more fortunate for these online to electronic devices, we should appreciate how these products has assisted others who have trouble in handling or completing these mundane activities. Here’s an inside scope of Tyler Schrenk’s life.
After a terrible incident that paralyzed Schrenk, his once flexible hands struggle to operate even the simplest gadgets and its functions, such as opening an ebook. The duration for completing these little tasks estimates around five to ten minutes. These unprecedented circumstances trouble this independent man who just recently developed his passion for leisurely reading.
Through a church meeting last year, Microsoft software engineer Jose Blakeley reached out and offered his personal assistance toward improving Schrenk’s technological complications, to which Schrenk initially mentioned when asking for more ways to read more books. Through their friendship and over time, this Washington resident mastered a reading system in a couple sessions after utilizing a light-weighted Surface Pro that contains Windows 8, its speech recognition system software, voice-operated mouse, and other accessibility features.
This self-sufficient accomplishment further motivates this handicapped man to proceed in overcoming other obstacles by optimizing vocal methods. Using his voice, he operates a variety of Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) and Internet Explorer. Due to background noises from a respirator as well as the pump and air conditioner in Schrenk’s room that threatened to interfere with voice commands, the duo added a Koss CS100 microphone to the reliable Surface Pro. Additionally, the Xbox One connected to his flat screen responds to his voice commands when he wants to watch television or movies.
“It’s cool,” he says. “I was able to use it out-of-the-box, without any upgrades.”
According to Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Rob Sinclair who is featured in Paul Nyhan and Aimee Riordan’s article, he explains that future technology like the Kinect has the potential to be “transformative” for people with disabilities because of its responsiveness, such as building a Kinect-enabled American Sign Language translator that produces a text interpretation of gestures and vice-versa from children with autism.
Though optimizing the voice system appeals compelling in this story, other folks with disabilities requested specific settings like a Controller Button Remap option; this sophisticated configuration actually enables players to simply rearrange each button’s function on the controller. Though this program may require more work, an inovative engineer and inventor, known on Youtube Channel as the Ben Heck Show, develops his own a single-handed Xbox One controller that caters to handicapped gamers.
This growing attraction that bonds both gaming devices and modern technologies will not dissipate soon, especially to audiences who are re-imagining the endless possibilities that these electronics and digital combonents could bring for not only the entertainment business but also in health care. Thus, individuals like Schrenk has already enrolled into computer science classes at a local community college in hopes of being employed as a future programmer.
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