Those with hearing losses may have difficulty understanding information presented on television. Children with severe speech impairments may have difficulty communicating with others in school. Others with physical disabilities may be unable to control common appliances in their environment. Adults with severe learning disabilities may not be able to read printed materials required for them to perform their jobs. It is possible to use a variety of devices and services to respond to needs such as the ones just described.
Some devices help people with disabilities perform a given task.
These often are called assistive devices. For example, a lap board with pictures on it may assist a person who cannot talk to communicate. Other devices change the environment or help the person to modify the environment. These are called adaptive devices. A switch that would allow control of different appliances from a wheelchair would be an example of an adaptive device.