History of rehabilitation engineering

Abstract

This chapter explores the history of the field of rehabilitation engineering and the fruits of those efforts in the development of assistive technology devices. Humans have created assistive technology to feed themselves, to provide shelter, to get around, to communicate with one another, and to find recreation in the world around them. While Alexander Graham Bell is best known for inventing the telephone, it was his interest in helping deaf and hearing-impaired people that contributed significantly to the development of assistive technology. Described below are a few of the first instances of technology transfer to the commercial CRT market from both research and clinical rehabilitation engineering programs. The history of assistive technology and rehabilitation engineering provides lessons in the invention and development of devices and technology that aid people with disabilities. The history of assistive technology describes the many kinds of devices that have been developed and used by people with disabilities.