In the Comporta project, work is being carried out for people severely disabled in the upper limbs. The aim of the project is to adapt a portable communicator that will have various applications for these persons.
In many cases persons with limited mobility in their upper limbs; those with muscular dystrophy, those suffering from certain nervous and muscular disorders such as cerebral palsy, lose the ability of moving their wrists and arms and, thereby, may have difficulties handling certain devices, such as a computer mouse or keyboard or a TV remote control pad. In the COMPORTA project, work is being carried out with these people severely disabled in the upper limbs. The aim of the project is to adapt a portable communicator that will have various applications for these persons.
Xmadina Tecnolog?a Adaptativa, S.L.; Eleka Ingeniaritza linguistikoa, S.L.; Robotiker; Minos 97 and the Bidaideak association have all participated in this project.
COMPORTA is based on the use of PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant), also known as electronic agendas. Given their small size and weight, they are totally portable and are easy to use anywhere. This is why PDAs are so useful for persons with neurophysical disabilities, and can help with greater personal autonomy; in effect, they enhance one?s quality of life. This is because they can be used to communicate anywhere, listen to music of one?s choice, search the Web or control the television set.
Nevertheless, those with disabilities in the arms and hands may have problems in handling the buttons and tactile screens of the usual PDAs. In order to provide a solution to this, an adaptation has been made of Etsedi, a PC application created for the Xmadina company.