Evaluation of Natural Technological Interfaces for Children with Psychomotor Disabilities

Abstract

Within population with disabilities, there is a group that has intellectual, sensory, motor disabilities, or a combination of them. The International Classification of Func-tioning, Disability and Health (ICF) defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and partic-ipation restrictions. It is estimated that over 15% of the world’s population is afflicted by disability in some form. In Argentina this prevalence reaches 7.1%. When these people want to use any technological device, usually find that its phys-ical interfaces are not accessible. Often they need adaptations, raising costs but accessibility is not totally guaranteed. Current technologies allow ”more natural” interfaces, where the feed-back is immediate. The application of appropriate technology with natural or intuitive interfaces, allow greater accessibility than adaptations commonly used for the overall development of students with psychomotor disorders. The objective of this work is to facilitate the comprehensive development of stu-dents with senso psychomotor disorders attending the Special School Beatriz Martinez A. Allio, through the incorporation and implementation of natural interfaces for working with computers in education, offering teaching a complementary tool for the development of their daily activities. The interfaces of hardware and software implementation are proposed to achieve the overall goal. It is intended to make at least a touch screen and at least one interface with the Kinect camera game console Xbox 360.