Assistive technologies and models for evaluation

The process of matching assistive technology to person (Scherer & Craddock, 2002) requires a well designed and researched sequential set of assessments that are administered by professionals with different areas of expertise in specialized centers for technical aids. The team of experts acts as a mediator between the person with a disability and the assistive technology. This summarize of the presentation performed in the panel “Sciences For Inclusion” rests on the following main features: the scientific power of the Assistive Technology Assessment (ATA) process, the new professional profile within a multidisciplinary team working in a center for technical aid, and the importance the assessing personal and environmental factors within the ATA process. The ATA model outlines an ideal process which provides reference guidelines for both public and private centers for technical aid provision, allowing them to compare, evaluate and improve their own matching model.