Top Assistive Technology Trends in the Workplace By Justin Franciscotty

Justin Franciscotty, who has more than 20 years of expertise, provides your business a track record of commercial and technological success. According to Justin, A more diverse and inclusive workplace is being facilitated by assistive technology (AT), which is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capacities of people with disabilities, claims Justin. Numerous forms of technology are used to support crucial job duties like organization and communication and frequently allow workers with disabilities to operate independently.

The use of assistive technology in the workplace varies depending on the needs of the individual and the demands of the position. While the quality of AT hardware and software has significantly improved over time as technology as a whole has developed, more recent developments in the following fields are helping to close the employment gap between people with and without disabilities.

Assistive technology trends in the workplace-

Accessible Technology

Any popular technology that has been created with the requirements of different users in mind is considered accessible and typically includes assistive technology solutions. A growing number of IT firms, including Apple, Microsoft, and Google, are being praised for developing their services and products with built-in customization options that let customers with impairments tailor their experiences.

Many companies are implementing accessible technology in the workplace to cater to the needs of their disabled employees. For instance, TD Bank provided all staff with Microsoft Office 365 and Windows 10 last year, which include a variety of apps that can be customized and accessibility features like the Narrator and Magnifier. The developers at Google have concentrated on making sure that all of their services cater to users who have vision, hearing, dexterity, and cognitive demands. They also provide a keyboard guide, an adjustable magnification/contrast aid, and their ChromeVox screen reader.

Switch Control, Voice Over, and Live Listen are just a few of the well-known smartphone accessibility tools that Apple has built into each of their products. In the end, even though many of these modifications were created with persons with disabilities in mind, their universal designs are advantageous to everyone.

Artificial Intelligence

Significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are also enhancing the working conditions for people with disabilities. Predictive text, visual recognition, and speech-to-text transcription were all innovations that later paved the way for a host of other products and services that are increasing the number of jobs available to individuals with disabilities.

For those with low vision, apps like Microsoft's Seeing AI describe people, text, and objects aloud. AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) apps like Prologuo2Go let those who cannot speak easily communicate with symbols. People with physical limitations and dexterity requirements can use the IntelliGaze communication system to control their computers with their eyes. AI breakthroughs benefit workers with disabilities in a variety of ways, including facial recognition and live captioning. AI development benefits both employers and workers with disabilities, from facial recognition to live captioning and other applications.

Additionally, businesses are making more investments in innovations. In order to give technology-focused seed funds to developers, academic institutions, nonprofit groups, and inventors that want to work on AI, Microsoft developed the AI for Accessibility program .

Intelligent Voice Assistants

Although voice assistants are generally considered to be an application of artificial intelligence, voice recognition technology's extensive use warrants separate attention.

Numerous options can be connected to tools in the workplace to make the space accessible, using devices like the Amazon Echo and Google Home and built-in personal software like Apple's Siri, Samsung's Bixby, Microsoft Cortana, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa. To build an engaging virtual identity, voice assistants combine voice response technology that mimics human speech with platform and application connectivity. Making calls, setting up appointments, turning on or regulating electric items (such as a thermostat or light bulb), and much more are all made possible by software. 

Assistive technology funding can be obtained from a number of sources, including governmental and private. There are numerous public and private funding options available for assistive technology. The Funding Resource Guide published by the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is a wonderful location to start your funding search. Tax benefits for employing and keeping workers with disabilities are also available to employers, as indicated in the resource guide. Additionally, a lot of states and colleges have lending libraries where organizations and people with disabilities can test out various technologies before making a long-term investment.

To Sum Up

Hope this information is helpful for you. To learn more, go here: Justin Franciscotty

The Technology Sector's 2022 and What It Means for 2023 By Justin Franciscotty

With over 20 years of experience, Justin Franciscotty brings your company proven success in the market and the tech industry. According to Justin, With trillion dollar firms and a positive outlook coming into 2022, the technology sector was already large. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) joined the club in the early part of the year. However, the pandemic greatly increased the importance of the technology sector. Justin examine the tech industry's 2022 and what it probably indicates for the performance of the sector in 2023.

The Adoption Acceleration

Although the pandemic had many effects, one of the most notable ones has been an increase in the use of technology at home and at work. Naturally, the needs of those under lockdown and the shift by many businesses to working virtually were what sped up adoption. As a result, the tech industry saw a significant lift, and we can expect those favorable effects to last well until 2022. Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (ZM) usage for internal meetings and happy hours, for example, may decline when there is a more concerted effort to get workers back to the office, but for the trend to fully reverse, too many people have realized that a video call can replace an expensive business trip.

The initial public offering (IPO) boom of Door Dash, Inc. (DASH) probably owed a lot to the idea that conveniences like click and collect and grocery delivery will become habits for customers who have gotten used to them. Consumers are now able and willing to buy larger ticket products like furniture and cars without going to a physical site, reflecting the development of online buying habits beyond shipments from Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN). Way fair Inc. (W), whose stock has surged more than 180% over the past year, saw triple-digit growth as a result of consumers' greater willingness to buy larger things online.

While most online retailers are doing well, some of the big pandemic winners might not be as well-prepared for a post-vaccine world. One of the tech stocks that the market seems to be utilizing as a benchmark for post-vaccine resiliency is Peloton Interactive, Inc. (PTON). After Pfizer Inc. (PFE) announced a vaccine, the stock fell, but it is now rising as the pandemic appears to last well into 2022. It remains to be seen whether the business can leverage its viral success into a long-term alternative to neighborhood gyms and studios, but it is a significant advantage when the primary rival is being financially ravaged by lockdowns and public apprehension about sharing space.

Digitizing Traditionally Low-Tech Sectors

Traditional low-tech industries have been heavily pushed to adopt digital technologies. In contrast to the private sector, the public sector, for instance, has retained physical documents and in-person interactions to a larger extent. However, there is currently a global movement to digitize public records and move workflows online. Many of the more routine aspects of the public sector, like renewals, certifications, and documentation are being moved online. However, some tasks, like food or environmental inspections, will never be fully digital. Larger tech firms that may submit bids for more extensive service agreements with the public sector are the ones who gain from this trend. Large-scale services in this field are provided by several companies, including Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Oracle Corporation (OCRL), International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), Accenture plc (ACN), and Alphabet's Google.

These businesses are effectively transforming some of the more complicated aspects of public administration, and they are now applying their knowledge to the ecosystem's interrelated subsectors, such as health and education. For these tech behemoths, the scale of this market and the nature of the longer-term contracts promise a unique opportunity for substantial growth in the coming years.

The Lawsuits

Speaking of tech behemoths, they might spend 2022 dealing with social licensing, a problem that oil and gas corporations are accustomed to. In terms of public relations, 2020 got off to a rocky start for social media companies like Facebook, Inc. (FB) because of the Netflix documentary "The Social Dilemma." The video highlighted how social networking sites aimed to keep users scrolling and clicking in order to increase their revenue, and it effectively conveyed its point by personifying the sites as research labs that experiment on their customers.

To Sum Up

Although 2020 was unpleasant for the majority of us, the tech industry saw a generally positive year. The revenues and business models of the companies providing that technology were similarly impacted by the accelerated adoption of technology. A revenue windfall and momentum going into 2022 are two advantages the IT industry has, which raises the likelihood that the success of the sector as a whole will continue. Investors should be mindful that the social licensing issue with technology has only recently begun to arise in 2020. Justin  find out in 2022 and beyond if the future of technology is one of unrestricted innovation and competition or whether regulation will be introduced to reduce some of the surplus.

To learn more, go here: Justin Franciscotty