Technology can change very rapidly over twenty, thirty years. We have advanced augmentative communication devices, power chairs. I went from using a communication board to using a Dynavox. But as the twenty-first century progresses, a new technology for driving a car is arising. While this is great news, there are still many kinks to work out.
The first kink is that people can’t just buy this driving system. They need proper training and assessment. However, disorders like cerebral palsy and apraxia and people with spinal cord injuries might be limited to this technology.
The second kink is that not all vehicles are accessible for such driving technology. Different vehicles need different accommodations and they just don’t have the accommodations for each car.
Lastly, the vendor will have to evaluate people for driving. They will question them about their medical history, driving records and their ability to transfer.
I hope as all technology progresses, that technology specifically for people with movement disorders arises. Maybe they could make a robotic arm stabilizer that could lessen the tremors as people drive or build a body support for those who don’t have the muscles to sit up.
I don’t know much about inventions, but I am excited to see what adaptive technologies come out within the next decade or so.