110 likes | 191 Views
Presentation on assistive technology, week three assignment for ED 505 @ the University of West Alabama.
E N D
Assistive Technology An overview and examples
Assisted Technology Explained • Assistive technology is any technology that assists students with special needs to work independently in a normal classroom setting. • According to the IDEA America website • assistive technology includes products such as: • • computers with adaptive software • • books on tape, or electronic format • • speller and grammar checkers • • specialized four-track tape recorders • • audio players • • computer screen readers • • talking word processors and calculators • • electronic data organizers • Any item that is purchased and modified as well as • specifically designed technology to assist the learner.
Laws regarding assistive technology • There are many laws that assistive technology fall under. These laws are under the guidance of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This legislation was passed to give rights to the disabled and provide equal opportunity to the disabled. Equal opportunity in the areas of health, education and welfare. • Specific Laws that deal with assistive technology and education are: • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act • Americans with Disabilities Act • Section 225 of the Telecommunications Act • Assistive Technology Act of 1998
What do the amendments to the rehabilitation acts mean? • In a nutshell the laws fall under the umbrella of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws provide equal opportunity to those with disabilities. The most important laws are 504 and 508. • Section 504 directly deals with those who receive Federal funds, this includes funded k-12 schools, as well as those of higher education. • Section 504 states that “no otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” • This simply means that any school elementary, secondary, or post-secondary that gets Federal dollars must provide equal opportunity to the disabled individuals who are qualified.
Section 508 • Section 508 was written in 1998 and covers the use of technology that must comply and be “accessible” to those that are disabled. • Section 508 in education related terms is that states, again must comply and have disabled accessible technology to those that require it if, again, they receive Federal funding. • These programs in the State of Alabama include • Title I, II, III, VI • 21st Century Community Learning Centers • English Language Learner Programs that are Federally funded
Individuals withdisabilities act • The Individuals with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 to ensure that education specific to those with disabilities be afforded an equal education from pre-school grades all the way to their senior year and even until the age of 21. • IDEA introduced the Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with special needs. These include measureable short and long term goals for students with needs as well as a plan to reach those goals. • IDEA includes provisions from The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in that students with special needs are given equal opportunity as regular students by utilizing assistive technology in the mainstream classroom.
Hearing Impaired Learners • Hearing impaired students generally speaking come to school with assistive technology, however there are assistive technology options available through your district. Closed Captioning Background Noise Cancellation TTY Machines
Sight Impaired Learners • Sight impaired learners can benefit from a variety of assistive technology. Braille Texts Books on Tape iPad Modifications Applications
Learning Disabled Assistive Technology • There are many varieties of assistive technology available to those that are learning disabled. In the age of the iPad, applications are prevalent. Helps assist those students who suffer From dyslexia. Dexteria Hand Exercises To help assist with Small motor skills Popplet, helps organize thoughts for those who have difficulty doing so.
Physicially Disabled assistive technology • For those with physical disabilities, there are also • assistive technologies available Joysticks to Assist with Motor skills. Keyboards for wheelchair bound students. Computers Attched to Wheelchairs.
Reference • http://www.ldaamerica.us/pdf/assistive_tech.pdf • http://www.ndrn.org/en/issues/assistive-technology/292-assistive-technology-federal-law-and-regulations.html • http://webaim.org/articles/laws/usa/rehab#intro • https://www.alsde.edu/home/Sections/SectionInfo.aspx?SectionID=57 • http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home • www.harriscomm.com • www.devices4less.com • hearinginstitute.ca • iphoneheadlines.com • http://www.ncld.org/students-disabilities