Finding new ways to increase inclusivity and accessibility is crucial because more than one billion people in the world live with disabilities, according to the World Health Organization. One in seven adults in the US has a disability that affects their mobility, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

People with mobility impairment might need assistance with typing, scrolling, or gaming. These disabilities can affect someone’s ability to work, connect with others socially or romantically, or enjoy their electronic devices. 

Also: The best assistive gadgets

However, Corten Singer and Tomás Vega, co-founders of Augmental, an MIT Media Lab spinoff, are determined to give people with disabilities more control — and that’s where a new assistive technology called MouthPad could have a big impact.

MouthPad allows users to control their electronic devices with their tongues. MouthPad resembles a plastic retainer, like Invisalign, and encases a trackpad, pressure sensor, battery, charging coil, and Bluetooth chip.

Historically, assistive technology has been limited to eye-tracking devices, mouth-controlled joysticks, and voice-to-text applications. But Vega says these technologies are outdated, bulky, and indiscreet. 

“Computers allow us to create, learn, share, express, and connect with others. Computers are so amazing not because of the intelligence they provide but because they are so easy to control — for you and for me,” Vega says. “But for those with severe hand impairments, it’s not easy; it’s actually quite hard because they rely on outdated interfaces that are unexpressive.”

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MouthPad offers something different. The technology fits into the user’s mouth and connects to their device via Bluetooth. When MouthPad is inserted, users can talk and close their mouths, eliminating the bulky and sometimes uncomfortable traits associated with mouth-controlled joysticks.

Singer is concerned that people with disabilitie