Mobile Tech and the Mentally Disabled Pt.3: Possibilities

Over the past couple of posts, I have discussed how people with cognitive/developmental disabilities have had trouble entering into the digital world. I have talked about the dangers of leaving them behind and how mobile/app based technologies in their present form could help them overcome the barriers in entering this world. But what about the future?

Let’s say, hypothetically, we were able to get tablet computers into the hands of this population and teach them how to interact with the technology. They would be able to use the applications that are available to everyone to keep pace with the new world.

“But dude, wouldn’t it also be possible to create applications specifically for these people that would help them overcome obstacles in their everyday lives that have been standing in their way for years? You know, not just help them keep up with the status quo, but make their lives even better than they were before?”

You’re damn right we can.

Much the same way mobile technology allows most of us to use less of our brain power on the mundane mechanics of our lives, this technology could help to assist the cognitively impaired to keep track of the daily necessities that would otherwise require outside help. And much in the same way that these technologies are being utilized and developed to help teach children in schools, they could also be used to help teach the cognitively impaired to be more efficient in the mechanics of their lives.

Take for example Taskaid. This application allows one to create a todo list attached to a notification alarm that is set off by either location or time. So if you need to remember to pick up bread, you put it in your todo list and set it to go off the next time you go to the store. Through use of the GPS tracker in most phones and tablets, the app knows when you are at the store and it sets off the alarm.

In its present form, this technology could do wonders for helping the cognitively impaired keep track of their daily necessities, allowing them a greater degree of independence from professional caregivers. However, with a bit of development, it could be taken a step further.

If combined with tutorial apps, the educational value of location reminders could be huge. For example, let’s say Tom goes down stairs in the morning and goes into the kitchen. Instead of simply having an alarm sound to remind Tom to eat breakfast, what if his app could remind him to eat breakfast, list all of the different types of food that make a healthy breakfast, and instructed Tom on how to prepare these healthy breakfast items by himself? Now Tom is eating a full and healthy breakfast every morning without needing assistance.

What if we applied these type of apps to a professional situation? How many more jobs would the cognitively impaired be able to do if this technology were able to help keep them from forgetting important aspects of a job and could offer quick and easy reminders or instructions if they become confused by or forget how to complete a task?

The professional possibilities grow even more when you consider how many jobs now include the use of mobile technologies. Many restaurants now have their hosts use iPads to conduct their business. The iPads are used for keeping track of seating, wait times, and phone numbers for giving callbacks to people when their tables are ready. Many department stores have their stock boys and girls use tablets to keep track of inventory. If the tool required to do a job is the same one that offers professional assistance to the impaired in helping them be able to do the job, then with a little work, the job training and maintaining could be paired with the actual functions of the job seamlessly.

These advances could greatly increase the amount of financial independence of this population. However, money management is often a big problem for people with cognitive disabilities. Budgeting can be difficult for them. Apps such as Google Wallet are being developed by several different companies, which allow payments to be made directly through mobile devices. Simply swipe your phone past a sensor in the store and it takes money out of an account just like a debit card would.

If advances were made in the field of parental style controls over the accounts attached to the app, budgeting could be made much simpler. Imagine what it would be like if you could set your credit card to only allow you to buy $10 a month in candy. Or $20 a month in fast food. Or $30 a month on Amazon. Or if you could program your account to know how much money it has to maintain for you to pay your bills at the end of the month. And once you reach your limit, the account declines any charges you try to make. It would be a heck of a lot easier to monitor your spending without thinking about it. Create a budget once, program it in, and then curse at yourself violently when you realize you can’t buy a Snickers bar because you used up your candy budget for the month in the first two days.

By using technology such as this, many people with cognitive disabilities would be able to gain independence from their guardians and/or caregivers who at present have to maintain a high level of control over their finances.

An even greater amount of independence could be achieved if mobile technologies were utilized for medical purposes. Already, things like the Nike Fuel Band exist that monitor number of steps, heart rate, and calories burned and then through syncing with a phone, transmit the data to an online server. If products became commercially available that could monitor blood pressure, insulin levels, and an array of other medical information, and then automatically through a synced phone, notify an ambulance, emergency contact, and PCP the minute something was wrong, the need for this population to be physically monitored around the clock would drop substantially.

Besides simply improving on the independence of the individuals, putting mobile technologies into the hands of the mentally disabled could benefit society as a whole by allowing them access to people around the world who could help to inspire them, and be inspired by them. A large percent of people with cognitive disabilities find themselves stuck in a microcosm of other people with similar disabilities and the people providing them with care. On a day-to-day basis, this might not be an issue. But pretend you lived in a group home with 8 other people and whatever staff worked there and you realized that you love classical music. What are the chances that anyone else in that house is going to love classical music too? Or be able to help you develop that passion? The stats aren’t good.

But what if you could get yourself on Google Plus and converse with classical music lovers from all around the world? Share in discussions with people from France, use Hangouts to take music lessons from a volunteer teacher in Spain, or get help recording your own music from an audio tech in Germany. Now your love of classical music can flourish and you can share your own creativity with the world.

Picture how much the world could gain by bringing this population into the fold and encouraging them to use their own knowledge and creativity to add to global collective.

Here's the best part. I’m not even very smart and these are just the ideas I could come up with in a day. Image what could be done if real designers, programmers, and engineers, got together with social workers, educators, and personal care providers and put their imaginations to work. Think of the difference it could make for this population, society, and people as a whole. Mobile technologies are revolutionizing the world and with just the smallest amount of effort and support, they could change the lives of the mentally disabled forever.