A Day in the Life of a Person with a Cognitive Disability

Talk to someone about disabilities and I can assure you that normally, that person would at once think of wheelchair users or blind people. But although these are major disability groups, there is also one group which is less recognized yet is as equally significant as the ones mentioned above.

This group consists of persons with cognitive disabilities. People who have this type of disabilities have limitations in their ability to perceive, recognize, understand, and/or respond to information.

Here, we will provide you with a close look at someone who has this disability, the challenges he faces, and how he uses technology to lead a productive and independent life.

Meeting Our Friend for the First Time

Our friend’s name is Tristan. Tristan was born with a cognitive disability which makes it relatively hard for him to remember and process information. He currently works as a library assistant for the public library in his city. Tristan is a huge fan of pasta dishes and loves to study English and a few other languages.

Let us join Tristan as he spends one day in his inspiring life.

Waking Up in the Morning

It’s a beautiful summer day. Tristan is wakened by his alarm clock. Like most other clocks, the one he uses produces a sound that’s loud enough to wake up a person. But aside from that, his alarm clock also has a screen which gives off a bright blinking light and a message telling him to wake up.

These additional features help Tristan to know quickly that it is time to get out of bed and prepare to go to work. Similar to other people with cognitive disabilities, Tristan needs information to be provided in more than one way so that he could understand it at once.

Also, his alarm clock is very easy to use. It requires only a few steps to set the time for the alarm. This is a very important feature of electronic devices which Tristan and other persons with cognitive disabilities want and need.

Taking a Bath

To ensure that he uses the right products during his bath, Tristan has labeled each bottle with the correct name. Of course the brand on the bottles would often be enough, but labeling them simplifies the task of knowing which is which.

He also has a clock in his bathroom. Tristan placed this clock in an area where he can always see it when he is inside the bathroom. He uses the clock to make sure that he does not spend too much time taking a shower. Before taking a bath, Tristan sets the alarm to ring after a number of minutes.

Having Breakfast

After taking a bath and getting dressed, Tristan prepares to have breakfast. This is one of the most enjoyable daily activities for most of us. But for a person like Tristan who finds it hard to remember and learn things, it can be quite a challenge.

Fortunately, Tristan can use smart home technology to help him enjoy having breakfast. Smart home technology refers to a particular technology that makes electronic home devices more automated.

His refrigerator, for instance, can give him an inventory of its contents. It can also suggest meals to Tristan based on the products inside it. This smart refrigerator can also communicate with the microwave in preparing a meal for him. These advanced home devices use the Internet in communicating with one another. The microwave then takes care of everything. Tristan just has to place the ingredients in it.

Although these appliances are very helpful, they cost a lot more than ordinary home devices. But in spite of the high cost, Tristan still chose to have them as these devices provide him with a sense of independence and accomplishment.

Tristan enjoys his meal which was prepared through the help of his refrigerator and microwave. He wears a wristwatch which beeps every few minutes to remind him to finish his meal so that he can start to prepare for work.

Going to Work

Tristan checks if he has everything he needs in his bag. He uses a PDA where he keeps his notes about the stuff he needs to bring to work. He then steps out of his home and proceeds to the bus stop.

Tristan does not have to worry if he left any of the home devices on as they would automatically go off after a few minutes. This is also a part of the smart home technology which he has in his house.

Tristan heads on to the bus stop. He uses a GPS application in his PDA so he would not get lost along the way. The GPS application tells him the right directions to the correct bus stop.

His GPS application also tells him if the right bus is coming. However, the bus has to support the GPS system used by Tristan. Sometimes, a bus would arrive but his GPS does not give a notification. In this case, he needs to check for himself whether or not he can take that bus.

Tristan gets a notification from his GPS and gets on the bus. He finds a seat and settles down for the 30-minute ride to work.

In the Library

Tristan enters the library and prepares for another busy day. He puts down his bag on his work area and takes out his PDA. He will work with this device for the most part of the day.

In his PDA, he keeps a list of tasks which he needs to do and the specific time for doing each one. Whenever a task needs to be done, his PDA provides a sound notification and a message telling Tristan what to do.

The first notification for today tells Tristan to arrange the books in the shelves and fix the tables and chairs. He needs to do this before the other staff and readers arrive to the library.

Tristan does this task and settles down behind the counter to welcome the first client to enter the library.

The person asks Tristan if they have a specific book. Tristan uses the library’s computer in accessing the electronic catalog of the library. Tristan is glad that the software for accessing the catalog is very easy to understand and use.

Previously, this was not the case. The other staff could use the software easily, but Tristan had difficulties in using it. He is very thankful though that the guys in the IT department considered his needs and modified the user interface of the software to make it simpler and easier to understand and use.

He enters the information given by the client and tells the client that the requested book is available, as well as details on which section to find it. He does the same tasks for the next set of clients. When a person wants to borrow a book or become a member of the library, Tristan can assist them as the software provides him with menus and options that are clear and easy to understand. He can also accommodate persons inquiring over the telephone.

Tristan’s PDA informs him that it is time for lunch. He places a small sign in the library’s counter telling everyone that he is on break. He joins the head librarian and the other staff for lunch.

Continuing the Work Day

After lunch, the head librarian informs Tristan that there will be a meeting at around 2:00 pm in the library’s conference room.

To make sure that Tristan does not forget to do all the tasks needed in preparing for the meeting, he loads a particular document in his PDA. This document contains a list of the specific tasks he needs to do and the number of minutes for each one. He then proceeds to arrange the furniture in the conference room, set up the sound system, and set up the room’s projector.

After the meeting, Tristan goes back to his work area to help clients find books and answer inquiries. After a few hours, his PDA notifies him that he needs to inform the persons reading in the library that closing time is in an hour. At the closing time, Tristan’s PDA tells him that he needs to see if there are any books left on the tables and return them to the right shelf. Another notification arrives, and this time it is for cleaning the library’s reading area, arranging the furniture, and making sure all appliances are turned off. Tristan does all these tasks, closes the library, and goes home.

At the End of the Day

Tristan comes home and checks his PDA if he needs to do any chore. He finds out that he needs to check his mailbox for new letters. Seeing that are no new mail, he enters the house, puts down his things, and changes his clothes.

It is time for dinner, so he goes to the kitchen and decides what meal he wishes to have. He takes a container that has his favorite pasta dish and places it in his smart microwave. The microwave automatically determines the length of time for heating the food. To non-disabled people, this feature may simply be for luxury. However, for Tristan, this is a very important feature that prevents him from having too much trouble figuring out what to do.

After dinner, Tristan wants to read a book about the German language. He uses a technology called DAISY which stands for Digital Accessible Information System. DAISY enables him to read and listen to books that are in electronic format. Tristan loads the digital talking book in his DAISY playback hardware and begins his favorite hobby.

Tristan enjoys reading digital talking books a lot. This is because he can see and read the text while listening to a live narrator as the narrator reads the text of the book. Tristan finds this system of reading very easy to understand.

While Tristan reads his book, his smart air conditioning system automatically detects that the room is getting warm and turns on the cooling system. Again, this is a very important feature for people like Tristan who has trouble remembering things.

After reading a few chapters of the digital book, Tristan decides to watch TV. He turns on the television and switches to his favorite channel. He is glad to find that the channel supports closed captioning as it lets him read and listen to the dialog of the show. Closed captions, although primarily designed for deaf people, also benefit persons such as Tristan who have cognitive disabilities.

Getting a notification from his PDA that it’s time to go to bed, Tristan goes to his room and prepares to have a good night’s sleep. Tonight he forgot to turn off the TV, but thanks to smart home technology, the TV automatically turns off after a few minutes.