Development, Evaluation and Assessment of Assistive Technologies - Introduction to the Special Thematic Session.

Individually adapted and usable assistive technologies are one of the essential prerequisites for empowering people with disabilities. Although a growing number of devices and assistive technologies are available, the proportion of technology abandonment is still very high. This is due to various aspects, which in part lie in the assistive technology itself, in the characteristics of the users or in the psycho-social environment. The diverse contributions in this session show interesting approaches on how to further improve the development, evaluation, and assessment of assistive technologies. The presented results entail important advances in providing people with disabilities with the technology they need in a more suitable and sustainable way.