Adaptive Switch Laboratories (ASL) has launched the ASL iON Integrated Drive Control System, “a life-changing advancement for power wheelchair users that goes beyond improved mobility to help enhance their ability to engage with people, interact with their environment, and meet more of their needs independently.”
The ASL iON features Bluetooth connectivity for up to eight devices, multiple active drive controls for the wheelchair rider to navigate through, pre-programmed phrases to support riders with speech limitations, and voice prompts to tell the rider where in the system they are.
“With the iON, individuals can use their ASL drive control to move a mouse and left click with just three switches, helping expand their computer usage abilities,” the company said in a Dec. 15 news announcement. “A person who rolls up to a closed door can use the built-in voice and phrases of the iON to communicate with people around them, asking them to ‘Please, open the door.’”
ASL Director Lisa Rotelli noted that the iON’s array of technologies enhance the capabilities of wheelchair riders who have profound mobility and speech limitations. To support independence, the iON enables wheelchair riders to independently control computers, mobile phones, communications devices, tablets, door openers and other assistive technology devices.
“This new system takes customers’ independence to new levels by serving as a powerful smart hub and control panel for some of life’s most important daily activities,” Rotelli said. “The iON allows someone to use the drive control of their wheelchair to also control their technology and environment with the goal of being less reliant on caregivers and others.”
The iON could be a helpful fit for wheelchair riders with neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and high-level spinal cord injuries.
