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Information about assistive technologies for students.
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Assistive Technology Ashlee Cannon ED505- Dr. McMillan Spring 1 - 2015
What is assistive technology? • Assistive technology is any type of technology that is used to assist a person with any kind of disability (Assistive Technology Industry Association, 2015). • These items can range from wheelchairs to computers to hearing devices to screen readers and more (Assistive Technology Industry Association, 2015).
Laws pertaining to assistive technology • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that people with disabilities deserve and are subject to all of the same rights and amenities as non-disabled people i.e. equal opportunities. Employers, public facilities, education, etc. cannot discriminate against a person with any disability and must in fact accommodate those with disabilities(The Family Center on Technology and Disability, 2015). • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)states that children with disabilities are entitled to an education that is free and appropriate for their needs(The Family Center on Technology and Disability, 2015). • Assistive Technology Act of 1998 was set up as a fund to help families of and people with disabilities gain access to the technologies they need to deal with their everyday life(The Family Center on Technology and Disability, 2015).
Assistive Hearing Technology • Frequency-Modulated (FM) Amplification Systems can be a good tool for children in school with hearing impairments. These devices are made up of two parts. One part is like a microphone that the teacher would talk into while the other part is the hearing aid that the student would have in their ears. FM systems are great for classrooms because it allows the teacher to freely move about the room and the student with the hearing disability can still hear what is being said. It also greatly cuts down on background noise that other hearing aids amplify, which is another way it would be useful for a student trying to concentrate and study in a classroom setting(Belson, 2015). (VR4 Hearing Loss, 2015)
Assistive Sight Technology • Portable notetakers are devices that can be used by students with visual impairments to take notes with during class. They use it in a manner similar to using a computer. Some of the notetakers will use braille lettering while others have a QWERTY keyboard. The information entered can be sent to computers for easier access. Some even allow for text to speech capabilities where it will read what was typed in (Tebo, 2014). (Humanware, 2015)
Assistive Technology for Learning Disabled • Audiobooks are a good option for students who have issues with reading and word recognition. Many times reading can become overwhelming and instead of comprehending the material students will focus solely on trying to read the words. Audiobooks give students the opportunity to pay attention to the material presented and therefore focus on what they should understand. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 2015)
Assistive Technology for Physically Disabled • Trackballs and joysticks both are types of alternative computer mouse options to utilize in the classroom for students who may have poor motor skills. Sometimes a student may not be able to move a cursor or double click when necessary due to an impairment. These technologies allow for the students to more accurately and precisely control their computers for things like communication or to complete an assignment (Bright Hub Education, 2015). (AbleData, 2015)
Assistive Technology • There are numerous resources and technologies available for students who have any number of disabilities. It just takes a little time and research to find the right fit for the student in your class.
References AbleData. (2015). Expert Mouse [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.abledata.com/abledata.cfm?pageid=19327&ksectionid=19327&top=14899 Assistive Technology Industry Association. (2015). What is Assistive Technology? How Is It Funded? Retrieved from http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859 Belson, S. I. (2015). Assistive Technology For Students With Hearing Impairments. Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://sped.wikidot.com/assistive-technology-for-students-with-hearing-impairments Bright Hub Education. (2015). Assistive Technology for Children with Physical Disabilities: Keyboard & Mouse. Retrieved from www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-inclusion-strategies/47379-mouse-and-keyboard-assisstive-technology-options/ Humanware. (2015). BrailleNote Apex [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://store.humanware.com/hus/braillenote-apex-bt-18-braille-notetaker.html Tebo, L. R. (2014, January 6). A Resource Guide to Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairment. Retrieved from http://indicators.knowbility.org/docs/resourcebank/TEBO_VI_Resource_Guide.pdf The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. (2015). [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/media-library/accessing-media-audiobooks?lang=eng The Family Center on Technology and Disability. (2015). Assistive Technology Laws. Retrieved from http://www.fctd.info/resources/techlaws.php VR4 Hearing Loss. (2015). FM Listening System [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://vr4hearingloss.net/what/assistive-technology/