Assistive Technology Devices for Students With Disabilities
Assistive technology refers to any tool or item that enhances the learning, mobility or communication skills of the disabled. Examples of assistive technology might be the setting on a computer or a device used to transport a person. There are many different assistive technology devices for students with disabilities, and the implementation varies according to each person or need.
Liability
The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, was a groundbreaking civil rights bill signed into law by President George H. W. Bush. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of any disability, which is defined as "a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activity."
The law brought about universal changes in the treatment of people with disabilities. The changes affected the way people were hired for jobs, how children were transported to schools, how buildings were designed and built, and how individuals with speech, vision or hearing impairments were able to communicate. Because of ADA, an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is created and implemented for every special education student in the public schools. Assistive technology can be written into those students' IEPs, allowing them to utilize assistive devices without discrimination or penalty.
Function
Assistive technology assists schools in placing students in the "least restrictive environment." That means that children with disabilities should be educated with their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible. Students with disabilities are required to have access to the same services, activities and curricula as their peers. Students with disabilities must be provided with supplemental technology or assistance in order to achieve educational goals in "regular" school settings. As part of the IEP process, students are evaluated for their educational needs, including assistive technology.
Assistive technology is chosen for students based on individual needs. Students who may potentially use assistive technology are evaluated and fitted with the appropriate devices if necessary. Determining factors can include educational challenges, educational goals, the educational setting, usefulness of technology and manageability.
Once the technology is chosen, it is tested and evaluated for use. Full implementation of the assistive technology device takes place after all interested parties see the potential for growth or improvement through the use of the technology. Its use is monitored and evaluated by specialists, teachers, parents and the student. Changes in devices or implementation may be made in order for the student to utilize the technology effectively.
For the Language Impaired
Potentially valuable devices for students with language processing disabilities are electronic spellers, dictionaries, word scanners, voice-recognition software for computers, electronic organizers, word-prediction software for computers, talking devices for pronunciation, audiobooks and players, portable word processors or laptops, and text readers. Although the degree to which the student suffers from the disability determines the device chosen, many of these items are used widely in a variety of settings.
Students with speech or communication disabilities can utilize communication boards, voice-output devices, communication software for computers, augmentative communication devices with visual, speech, or printed output, text-to-voice and voice-to-text software for computers, talking word processing with writing support, touch screens, head pointing devices, translating devices and electronic dictionaries.
Students with mild learning disabilities can benefit from audio books, electronic spelling checkers, electronic dictionaries, laptop computers, electronic organizers, word processors, and graphic organizer software for computers.
For the Visually Impaired
Students who are blind, legally blind or have visual impairments such as low vision or partial vision can benefit from assistive technology devices such as audiobooks, magnifiers, tape recorders, digital recorders, special lighting, pen lights, large display calculators, talking calculators, laptop computers, braille writers, braille translation software for computers, braille printers, closed-circuit televisions with magnifiers, computers with speech output or feedback, enlarged computer monitors, computer keyboards with large keys, talking dictionaries and spell checkers, video magnifiers, voice output software, and screen readers.
For the Hearing Impaired
The classroom performance of students who are deaf or have hearing impairments can be improved with hearing aids, signaling devices, communication boards, amplifiers, headphones, FM systems, TTD/TTY Phone Service Keyboards, closed-captioned televisions, laptop computers, telecaption decoders and speaker amplifiers.
For the Physically Impaired
Physical impairments may affect one small part or a large part of a student's body. Therefore, assistive technology for physical impairments varies widely in scope and implementation. Some examples include tilt boards, onscreen keyboards, touch lights, voice input and output devices, voice-recognition software for computers, laptop computers, eye-controlled computer-input devices, portable word processors, adaptive switches and alternative keyboards. Additionally, computer mouth sticks or foot pedals can allow students to successfully input information, as can tracker-ball pointers, head pointers, switches and adapted mice.
