The Wonders of Technology and Accessibility

On Monday, we posted a blog highlighting - Wandercraft, a company with game-changing technology that will hopefully allow many people with disabilities to experience what it would be like to walk or stand on their feet. Since we received such an overwhelmingly positive response, I figured it would make sense to continue the discussion.

“Bionic technology continues to evolve rapidly, offering new hope and improved quality of life for people with disabilities. Recent advancements have focused on enhancing sensory feedback, neural control, and the integration of artificial intelligence, making bionic devices more intuitive and functional than ever before.”

The above quote is from Bionics for everyone’s official website. It is their mission to raise awareness of the latest bionic technologies for people who have become amputees or lost neurological function in one or more of their limbs. Today’s post will give a basic overview of Bionics and the possibilities that come with them. It will not be a rehashing of one particular article, although I will use information from various sources. Hopefully, by the end of this piece, you will see this incredible technology's potential like I do.

In attempting to fill my role as a journalist and inform you, the reader, I have also learned a great deal while researching this piece. It turns out that the idea of prosthetic limbs is not a modern concept. Yes, indeed, according to an article in NIH Medline Plus magazine published last May, “Historians don’t know for certain if the first prosthetics were functional or for appearances.  This is partly because different cultures have ideas about what makes a person whole.” The oldest prosthetics come from ancient Egypt. The oldest practical prosthetic is between 2700 to 3000 years old and is known as the “Cairo toe.” It was not cosmetic because it was refitted for the wearer several times and made from wood, but most importantly, it was capable of limited movement.

In 300. B.C., in Italy, an ancient Roman nobleman used a prosthetic leg known as the “Capua leg.” The leg was made of bronze and hollowed-out wood and held with leather straps.” Given how technology progressed, there were soon artificial limbs produced in other areas of the world, such as Switzerland and Germany. By now, it should be clear that “bionic” or prosthetic limbs are not just a thing of the past. It is human nature to “fix” ourselves. We have a hard time with being incomplete. I assume that is where the need and desire for bionic technology comes in.

Bionic technology has continued to improve throughout the ages. In one article I read for this piece, the technology seems to be growing at an exuberant rate, and it makes me wonder how long it will be before I am faced with a decision about whether to use my Lobster claws, as I like to call them; (I am not trying to offend people with disabilities who are reading this, but that is how I describe my hand contractions). They are either Lobster or T-Rex claws. However, back to my main point, I wonder if, in the not-so-distant future, this technology may be used for individuals like myself and not just amputees or those who suffer from accidents. In other words, I wonder: since Cerebral Palsy is technically an injury that affects the brain and its connections, could this technology eventually lead to the technology that teaches a brain to connect the circuitry properly?

I’m not looking for a “cure” because I am pretty happy sitting on my butt and causing trouble from down here, I’m just saying, “Oh, the possibilities” …

Until next time.

Jay

https://disabilityhorizons.com/2024/09/bionic-technology-information-for-people-with-disabilities/