The Liberating Possibilities of Technology
When Dan Johnson pulls into his parking stall behind the Wilson Street
State Office Building in Madison, his vehicle does not look particularly remarkable.
It’s only when the door on the side of the van slides open—and a metal
platform-lift extends out with Dan seated in his power wheelchair—that you realize
something is a bit different.
For Mr. Johnson, the Director of the state Office
for Persons with Physical Disabilities—and a person with quadriplegia, the van
has become an essential part of his life. "It takes me all over town every day,"
he says. "I love the independence it gives me."
Using small movements of his head and one hand, he drives himself to
work. He exits, closes and locks his van by pushing a few buttons on a control panel he
attaches to his shirt or seat belt. He enters the office building through an automatic
door, rides up an elevator, and wheels to his desk to boot his computer and begin work.
"Assistive technology gives me so much freedom," Dan remarks.
"Some of that technology is complex, like the voice-operated software that lets me
use a computer on my own. Technology also can be things as simple as the little rubber
sleeve that fits around my pen so I can grip it to write."
Mr. Johnson's wheelchair is the most noticeable equipment he uses.
"Wheelchairs are tools that enable people with physical disabilities to move about.
They’re not a liability to which we are bound or confined. For instance, some people
transfer out of their chair to use a toilet or ride in a car, and all of us transfer into
bed at night—perhaps with assistance."
Wisconsin’s
barrier-free design code and the Americans with Disabilities Act
now require many facilities to be accessible. In Dan’s estimation, "These
regulations have opened doors for me—literally."
TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS IN WISCONSIN
Looking for solutions using adaptive technology? The WisTech Program can
provide you with information about 17,000 disability-related products, as well as funding
resources and support groups.
WisTech’s assistive technology loan centers let you try equipment
at home, at school or in the work place to see if it meets your needs. These services can
be accessed through Wisconsin’s eight independent living
centers.
OUT AND ABOUT
Don't be surprised if you see Dan Johnson at a Packer game or in the
hallway of his children’s school.
"Having a disability doesn’t mean
I’m going to settle for being a couch potato," he quips. "People sometimes
think that makes me especially courageous, but no—I didn’t automatically get an
extra measure of courage when I injured my spinal cord. I’m just enjoying being a
spouse, a parent and a citizen like other folks—and assistive technology helps me do
that independently."
FILE #12: November 1998.
Alternative format versions are available on request.
Back to the physical disability
FILE main page.
Last Revised: June 16, 2009
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