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Assistive Technology By: Melody Martin ED505 Spring Two Online 2015
What is Assistive technology? Assistive Technology is equipment, software, or products that improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities such as difficulty speaking, typing, writing, remembering, pointing, seeing, hearing, learning, walking, etc.
Laws Relating to A.T. There are many laws which have been established to protect the rights of those disabled, as well as, to provide equality and an ease of assistance to those that require help to accomplish necessary tasks. One law worthy of notation is the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, also known as the Tech Act. The Tech Act provides funds to the state to support various programs such as advocacy services, financing for assistive technology, and AT demonstration centers.
Hearing Impaired Hearing Loops are wonderful aides to individuals who are unable to fully hear. Hearing loop systemsuse electromagnetic energy to transmit sound.
visuallyimpaired ZoomText is an efficient product to assist with the visually impaired in the classroom. ZoomText is a magnification and screen reading software for the visually impaired. ZoomText will also provide audio reading of the text on screen.
Visually Impaired continued… For students who are blind, VoiceOver is a great tool that converts text to audio. VoiceOver can be installed on computers, tablets, and phones for unlimited learning assistance.
Learning disabled There are many apps that can be implemented on tablets and other electronic devices to increase learning for students with learning disabilities. Alphabet Zoo incorporates sound association to letters of the alphabet all the while making learning fun with games and activities to engage struggling learners.
Physically disabled For the physically disabled, there are many tools and programs which can be used to provide an easier learning experience for the student. Items such a mouth stick, adaptive keyboards, and voice recognition software.
references Assistive technologies for people with physical impairments (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gmc-uk.org/accessibility/assistive_technologies/physical_impairments.asp What is Assistive Technology? How is it funded? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859