Research and development of adaptive equipment for persons with significant disabilities and the elderly: activities conducted by the Neil Squire Foundation

Abstract

This article presents an overview of the major R&D initiatives at the Neil Squire Foundation based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Five projects are highlighted and include a remote gateway environmental control system, a keyboard/mouse emulator, a robotic system, a voice recognition product, and a speech assisted reading and writing program. These R&D activities illustrate the Foundation's commitment to developing products that enhance the employability, independence, and quality of life of adults with disabilities of all ages, i.e., in an attempt to ‘level the playing field’. The benefits to users towards the achievement of this important goal for each project are also described.