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We are all in the hunting (investigative) business: track -- intercept and strike! So you should not be surprised to hear we often have problems that require immediate action at possibly great risk for which our tracking, interception, and strike skills are hardly adequate. It's like having to carve out a figure from an expensive block of marble despite the fact that our craftsmanship may not be up to the challenge or that we don't have the insight needed to see the figure in its full scope.

While it is absolutely remarkable that we have decision-making capacity at all, finite creatures that we are, the inescapable fact of life is that, in one form or another, to one degree or another, each of us is "handicapped." We are less than sufficiently ready in many of our skills to deal with matters that plague us. We either can't track, or intercept, or possibly even see the target. Despite that, we still have to chip away at the stone. We can't just sit around and think -- we have to act. But this, however, more often than not leads to poor shooting scores. Unfortunately, it also seems to define our lot, our normal state of un-preparedness as living agents. That's probably why we've ginned up so many aids, tools and techniques -- we need the gadgets to assist us in our efforts to solve our problems.

In special centers, like libraries, some of the tools of this technology (commonly called assistive technologies) are used to help people who have any of a variety of disabilities that make it difficult for them to access reading materials. Examples include:

• Hand-held or CCTV video magnifiers to enlarge printed materials
• Adjustable computer workstations with large monitors
• A variety of input devices, like a trackball, joystick, touch screen, and large type keyboards
• Text to speech software (WYNN) with scanner to convert text to audible speech
• Computer programs, like Dragon, to convert speech into computer text
• Magnification software (like Zoomtext) to enlarge type on computer screens and read aloud
• Reading pens that allow you to scan a printed word, hear it aloud, and get its definition
• Listening systems for sponsored events
• Motorized scooters, wheelchairs, and rolling walkers
• Grabbing devices to retrieve out-of-reach objects, like books on shelves
• Large-print books, audio books, descriptive videocassettes and closed-captioned videos and DVDs
• Lip-reading and sign language instructional videocassettes and books
• Braille talking books.

This is a rapidly growing field, in large part because of the availability of affordable and ever-improving computers. I see the technology as an extension of many established aids that have evolved over the history of human civilization for one task or another. In fact, I see them as defining elements of our great variety of skills.

At one time or another most people need assistance: physically, mentally, emotionally, perceptually, whatever. Such assistance is most notably required in our early years. But it also continues into adult life. As we get older, our systems simply wear out and, wilting flowers that we are, we soon lose our bloom. We may suffer a hearing loss, say, or go blind or nearly so, or become incapacitated and suffer all kinds of personal problems and limitations. Even with healthy sensors, though, we can still fall well short of required skills. To compensate for our individual frailties, we as a society have developed a variety of computer and other technological aids.

The wider technology includes familiar things like ordinary books and magazines, pencils, pens, and paper, desks, scissors, paper clips, calendars. We have telescopes, periscopes, microscopes, stethoscopes, and x-ray machines. We also have calipers, hammers, nails, pliers, saws, knives, forks, spoons, ladles, tables and chairs, phones, cars, boats, buses, trains and planes. And there are needles, thread, sewing machines, nail clippers, combs, electricity, wire, tape, and electric lights. On the computing side there are calculators, laptop and desktop computers, together with languages, computer programs, and of course, simulations and simulators. And on and on.

You might more fully appreciative the nature of the technology if you refer to it as our empowerment technology. I'm sure you can make up your own pages and pages of the many other items, large or small, that serve our various and sundry needs and establish and enhance our individual skills.

See Assistive Technologies, Empowerment Technology, Group-Based Training, Simulation-Based Training, Computer-Assisted Training for more informtion.

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