Assistive Technologies (ATs) for the Visually Impaired People with Reference to Teresa Medeiros’ Yours Until Dawn and Jeannette Eyerly’s the Seeing Summer: A Study Through Sustainable Development and Green Technology
摘要
The technologies which help people with different abilities to function on their own are referred to as Assistive Technologies (ATs). Since they enable impaired individuals to preserve or improve their independence and functioning, assistive devices and technologies should be prioritised for sustainable development. This will encourage participation and improve overall well-being. These range from extremely advanced computer software and hardware that improve movement, hearing, vision, or communication skills to wheelchairs, prosthetics, visual aids, hearing aids, and more. Similarly, the fellow human beings who support the persons with different abilities may be referred to as Assistive Human beings (AHs). Bothe the assistive technologies and human beings play a crucial role in the lives of the people with different abilities in general, visually impaired in particular. Research in the field of science, technology and social studies provide a platform for the discussion about and the introduction to assistive technologies. Love, compassion and care are the important qualities attributed to human beings. These qualities bind the human communities together. The assistive technologies like talking software, hearing aids and wheelchairs render an independent life to the differently abled. Similarly, parents, teachers, peer groups, special educators, voluntary organizations and the like work for the betterment of the persons with different abilities. The novels Yours Until Dawn and The Seeing Summer deal with the themes of the role of assistive technologies and fellow human beings for the visually impaired people to lead their lives. These novels also trace the challenges involved in lending and receiving the technical and human assistance. The article a study of assistive technologies and human beings for the visually impaired with reference to Teresa Medeiros’ Yours Until Dawn and Jeannette Eyerly’s The Seeing Summer is intended to shed light on the role of human and technological assistance in the lives of visually impaired persons. It also critiques the challenges involved in this mutual process.