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Assistive Technology Liz MaddenTechnology and Education
What is assistive technology? Assistive technology is any item, piece of equipment, or system used to assist and improve the functions of individuals with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Laws Assistive Technology Act of 1998 This act establishes a grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, to provide Federal funds to support State programs that address the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Laws Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in Federal employment and requires Federal agencies to establish affirmative action plans for the hiring, placement, and advancement of people with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Laws Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act This act prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally funded and federally conducted programs or activities in the United States, including employment programs.
Assistive Technology Laws Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act This act requires Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.
Assistive Technology Laws Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) This act prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.
Assistive Technology Laws Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 This act requires manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to persons with disabilities.
Hearing Impaired FM systems help people to hear and understand better in many situations where acoustics are poor and background noise is bothersome. The system is also very helpful when a person is a long distance from the speaker. Sound is conveyed through radio waves to a personal receiver.
Seeing Impaired Optical character recognition (OCR) technology allows blind and visually impaired people to scan printed text and speak it in synthetic speech or save it to a computer. The OCR offers three elements-scanning, recognition, and reading text.
Physically Disability Eye tracking instruments can be powerful tools for individuals with no control, or limited control, of their hand movements. The device allows the person to explore the internet with only eye movements.
Learning Disability Talking calculators use a build-in speech synthesizer to speak number, symbol, or operation keys as they are pressed.
Learning Disability continued Variable speech control tape recorders enable the listener to play audiotaped text faster or slower than it was originally recorded.
References Assistive Technology: Federal Law and Regulations. (2012, January 1). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://ndrn.org/en/issues/assistive-technology/292- assistive-technology-federal-law-and-regulations.html Assistive Technology for Children with Learning Disabilities. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.pluk.org/Pubs/ATguide4LD_419k.pdf Assistive technologies for people with physical impairments. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.gmc uk.org/accessibility/assistive_technologies/physical_impairments.asp Hearing Assistive Technology. (2015, January 1). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.hearingloss.org/content/hearing-assistive-technology Optical Character Recognition Systems. (2014, January 1). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/using- technology/assistive-technology/optical-character-recognition-systems/1235