Assistive technologies library

Welcome to our growing library of assistive technology ideas.

Room-by-room, you’ll find all kinds of assistive technology in use across Dimensions. We hope it gives you some fresh ideas for actively supporting someone’s independence.

It’s not all high-tech either. From textured wallpaper (which can help blind or partially sighted people navigate round their home) to adapted food processors, you’ll find all sorts of ideas in these pages.

We’re particularly grateful to those individuals we support who have been happy to share their video support plans here. We know how hard it can be for a support team or family to become film makers and create a video support plan that does justice to a person’s wants and needs. We hope the plans featured here will help. More help is available from marketing@dimensions-uk.org

And if you have an idea or product to share with us, get in touch.

Communicating and expressing myself

Want to lie on the beach in the Bahamas with your family? Practice travel training on the Tube? Go clubbing? Desensitise a trip to the GP? No problem, no problem, no problem.

Extraordinary immersive rooms

Gridpads have revolutionised Angela's ability to express an opinion. Now Angela chooses her preferred hairstyle every day, and makes new choices about what to drink!

Gridpads

William will make you a smoothie, or throw a custard pie at you, using the eye gaze tech that has transformed his independence

Eye gaze

Patrick loves asking Alexa to tell jokes and play his favourite songs whilst Fiona uses it to connect with her family and get the weather forecast.

Echo dot

Mary uses the touchscreen to change photos and looks at the different pictures from her past. It helps her with her sensory needs, too.

Digital photo frame

Fiona video calls her family, plays games and shares photos with her family via the cloud. Andrew joins community zoom clubs, watches films and calls his family. Duncan does the shopping and uses various communications apps!

Phones and tablets - how do you use yours?

These giant touch screens flip from table to TV in moments. Many people we support use them to socialise, communicate and pursue hobbies

Touch Tables

Helping me stay safe

Jean uses this as she is partially deaf, so she can feel the fire alarm going off in case she cannot hear it. The sensor is built in to the fire alarm system and vibrates her pillow when the alarm sounds.

Vibrating fire alarm

Patrick uses this monitor and sensor so that his team can support him in the event that he falls in his flat or needs support during the night. The sensor will alert his support team when there is movement in the room.

Alert-it monitor and sensor

As Patrick is blind, the touch assist door pad assists Patrick to easily enter his flat and bathroom, without the struggle of opening doors.

Touch assist door

In charge of my kitchen

This one cup kettle has helped [name] to make his own hot drinks safely, revolutionising his independence

One-cup kettle

[names] can now be much more involved in their own meal preparation thanks to this electric veg peeler. The tech enables more active support.

Electric peeler

Just like the veg peeler, this simple food processor is helping people gain independence in the kitchen

Ninja food processor

Gaining control over my environment

Coming soon... we hope this switch will give the people we support with limited physical abilities more control over using their electronic devices

SpaceKraft mains switch

Ring Doorbells feature a built-in camera and Two-Way Talk, so you can speak to whoever's at your door via an app. The doorbell also sends notifications to your device.

Ring doorbell

Fiona uses this to keep in touch when she goes out independently. It has various functions including an SOS button

Easy Phone

Video Support Plans

Welcome to Katie's video support plan

Katie

Welcome to Vivek's Video Support Plan

Vivek

Welcome to Benji's video support plan

Benji