Many people (a UN statistic is 8 to 14% of the world population) are afflicted with physically disabling conditions which preclude them from performing tasks that are routine for more able bodied individuals. Carefully designed and engineered devices can, and do, enable disabled people to communicate and to exercise control over appliances, tools, recreational devices and other such equipment in their environment. Most controlling devices currently available to the disabled have the disadvantage of limited utility, having been designed for a very specific purpose or situation, or, in the case of more sophisticated multipurpose equipment, the devices are quite expensive, thus limiting their accessibility. The purpose of this research project is to design, develop and build a set of fully functioning models of a unique switching device, usable by individuals with a wide range of disabling conditions, that will embody the three types of switching functions commonly desired, momentary, alternate on/off (latched) and timed; a range of signalling and feedback functions, and built in provision for telemetric remote environmental control in a single ergonomically designed package that can be produced and sold in quantity for under $40.
