Dual User Interface Dual User Interface Design As Key To Adoption For Computationally Complex Assistive Technology

Highly complex assistive technologies hold much promise for supporting independence for persons with communicative and cognitive disabilities. However the very complexity that provides the power is perhaps the reason for their very high abandonment rate. Part of the solution is designing with dual user interfaces, one for the person with disabilities, and one for caregivers who configure the devices. This paper describes the design and testing of such a system: MAPS (Memory Aiding Prompting System). This unique challenge and its broader implications are presented.