DfA products and services from a user perspective to facilitate life at home for people with cognitive impairments

Abstract

Supportive technology is expected to facilitate life at home for people with cognitive impairment. To study the usability of a number of support-installations in ordinary homes a three-year project was launched in Sweden. Three sites, each planned to comprise some twenty participants about sixty years of age and upwards, suffering either from a cognitive impairment such as an acquired brain injury or other forms of cognitive impairments, have been engaged. One goal was to acquire knowledge and experience about technical support, their appropriateness and adaptability to the users and to the organisation supporting them. Another goal was to develop and test supportive technology and a third goal was to explore ways to the market for Design for All products which are necessary for some but useful to most of tenants. The housing companies played an important role for the development of the project and the way to the market, as many technical aids basically are parts of the physical building structure. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.