«Invited Lecture» Assisted Communication based on Information Technologies

- for Memory-Impaired People and for People with Dementia -

Abstract

People who have suffered mild brain damages due to senescence or cerebrovascular illness may look ordinary at first sight. however it is difficult for them to lead a normal social life. Often, the requirement for constant care and attention creates a burden for their family members. A possible method for reducing this stress is to enable the disadvantaged person to participate in a networked community. However, brain damaged people cannot operate a personal computer. In Networked Interaction Therapy Project, we are investigating novel interfaces which will allow the mildly brain-damaged to participate in networked communication without having to operate a computer.