National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Assistive Devices is the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Assistive Devices
Also called: Assistive technology
If you have a disability or injury, you may use a number of assistive devices. These are tools, products or types of equipment that help you perform tasks and activities. They may help you move around, see, communicate, eat, or get dressed. Some are high-tech tools, such as computers. Others are much simpler, like a "reacher" - a tool that helps you grab an object you can't reach.
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Start Here
- Assistive Technology(Administration on Aging)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Assistive Technology 101(Family Center on Technology and Disability)
- Also available in Spanish
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Specific Conditions
- Assistive Listening Devices: Solutions for Common Communication Obstacles(American Academy of Audiology) - PDF
- Cars and Driving(Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center)
- Closed Captioning(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
- Hearing Assistive Technology(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
- Speech-to-Speech Relay Service(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
- Video Relay Services(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
- What Is Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS)?(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
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Related Issues
- Home Healthcare Medical Devices: A Checklist(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
- Make Sure the Medical Device You Choose Is Designed for You(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
- Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions(Transportation Security Administration)
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Videos
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Using Assistive Devices
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
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Using Assistive Devices
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Financial Issues
- Assistive Technology Funding Tips(United Cerebral Palsy Associations)
- Living and Working with Disabilities: Tax Benefits and Credits(Internal Revenue Service) - PDF
- Also available in Spanish
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Association between mobility, participation, and wheelchair-related factors in long-term care...
- Article: The accuracy of new wheelchair users' predictions about their future...
- Article: Effects of wheelchair sports on respiratory muscle strength and thoracic...
- Assistive Devices -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Assistive Technology Glossary(Family Center on Technology and Disability)
- Also available in Spanish
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Directories
- ABLEDATA: Products(National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research)
- Search for Assistive Technology by Function(Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access)
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Organizations
- Alliance for Technology Access
- Assistivetech.net(Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access)
- Family Center on Technology and Disability
- Food and Drug Administration
- Job Accommodation Network(Office of Disability Employment Policy)
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
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Law and Policy
- Assistive Technology Laws(Family Center on Technology and Disability)
- Emergency Video Programming Accessibility to Persons with Hearing and Visual Disabilities(Federal Communications Commission)
- Also available in Spanish
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Children
- Assistive Technology 101(Family Center on Technology and Disability)
- Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology(Family Center on Technology and Disability)
- Also available in Spanish
- Hearing Assistive Technology (HATS) for Children(American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
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Seniors
- Assistive Technology(Administration on Aging) - PDF
- Assistive Technology(Administration on Aging)
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Patient Handouts
- Home Healthcare Medical Devices: A Checklist(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
- Make Sure the Medical Device You Choose Is Designed for You(Food and Drug Administration) - PDF
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