A System for Teleconsulting, Communication and Distance Learning for People with Disabilities

Telemedicine and telelearning applications should greatly improve the quality of life of all patients but especially those with a disability. However, people with severe physical disabilities are often unable to benefit from them because they cannot use the man-machine interfaces of most telecommunication equipment. We have therefore constructed a system that allows access to three methods of communication: text files, email messages and SMS messages. The user interacts using a switchtype interface. The system consists of a PC with a networking adapter, a switch interface adapter and special software. The main advantages of the system are the possibility of using rapid communication (email, SMS mobile phone messages) for teleconsulting and emergencies, and participation in distance learning.