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  • 8/11/2019 Assistive Tech for Students

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    Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairments

    A Position Paper of the Division on Visual Impairments, Council of EceptionalChildren

    !"##

    Derrick W. Smith, Stacy M. Kelly, and Gaylen Kapperman

    Introductionll !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment! are entitled to the independence and e%%iciency

    a%%orded &y technology, incl"ding a!!i!ti$e technology. ppropriate a!!i!ti$e technology ena&le!!t"dent! #ho are $i!"ally impaired to acce!! in%ormation and to complete ta!k! e%%iciently,there&y ena&ling them to achie$e the highe!t le$el o% independence po!!i&le. Emergingre!earch !"gge!t! that technology promote! ac'"i!ition o% literacy, pro$ide! more e'"al acce!!to in%ormation re'"ired %or employment, and %or acce!! to in%ormation, in general, and %acilitate!!ocial and comm"nity net#ork! (Kelly ) Smith, *+-.

    Lo#en%eld (/0- determined that there #ere three primary i!!"e! %acing indi$id"al!

    #ith $i!"al impairment!1 acce!! to in%ormation, independent tra$el, and a lack o% meaning%"le2perience!. !!i!ti$e technology i! "!ed &y indi$id"al! #ith $i!"al impairment! to compen!ate%or the!e limitation!. !!i!ti$e technology can ena&le !t"dent! #ho are $i!"ally impaired toachie$e ed"cational !"cce!! and gain competiti$e employment &y pro$iding tool! %or increa!edindependent acce!! to in%ormation and %or e%%ecti$e comm"nication. 3he c"rrent challenge i! topro$ide appropriate acce!! to and in!tr"ction on &lindne!! and lo# $i!ion !peci%ic a!!i!ti$etechnology thro"gh indi$id"ali4ed a!!e!!ment o% a!!i!ti$e technology need!, appropriatein!tr"ction in the "!e o% a!!i!ti$e technology a! tool!, and e'"ita&le di!tri&"tion o% a!!i!ti$etechnology.

    Pu$lic PolicyIn general, the legal !"pport %or pro$iding a!!i!ti$e technology de$ice! and !er$ice! to

    !t"dent! #ith di!a&ilitie! in the !chool! i! rooted in %ederal legi!lation that go$ern! the pro$i!iono% !pecial ed"cation in the 5nited State!. !!i!ti$e technology #a! %ir!t de%ined in the legi!lationa! &oth !er$ice! and de$ice! in the Technology Related Assistance for Individuals withDisabilities Act of 1988 (6"&lic La# ++78+/, commonly re%erred to a! The Tech Act of 1988-.3hi! de%inition #a! later adopted in the + re$i!ion o% the Individuals with DisabilitiesEducation Act (IDE99:ryant ) :ryant, *++09 ;ohn!ton, :eard, ) Carpenter, *++0-.

    Incl"ded in the + mendment! to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act#a!the mandate that a!!i!ti$e technology de$ice! and !er$ice! m"!t &e con!idered #hende$eloping an indi$id"ali4ed ed"cation program (IE6- %or children #ith di!a&ilitie! and that thelocal ed"cation agency m"!t pro$ide tho!e de$ice! and !er$ice! #hen appropriate. 3here%erence to a!!i!ti$e technology i! %o"nd in the portion o% the !tat"e re%erred to a! specialfactors, the !ame !ection o% the la# that mandate! the con!ideration o% in!tr"ction in &raille.

    3here%ore, IE6 team! m"!t at lea!t di!c"!! and determine #hether or not a!!i!ti$e technologyde$ice! and !er$ice! #o"ld help !t"dent! achie$e a %ree appropriate p"&lic ed"cation (

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    "!ed to increa!e, maintain, or impro$e %"nctional capa&ilitie! o% indi$id"al! #ith di!a&ilitie!>(IDE *++8, Sec. ?+*, *+ 5SC 8+, @ 0++.A-. Bn the other hand, assistive technologyservices are de%ined in thi! !tat"e a! =any !er$ice that directly a!!i!t! an indi$id"al #ith adi!a&ility in the !election, ac'"i!ition, or "!e o% an a!!i!ti$e technology de$ice> (@ 0++.?-.

    IssuesDe!pite the need %or and &ene%it o% a!!i!ti$e technology "!e that i! #ell7doc"mentedthro"gho"t the literat"re, there are comple2 i!!"e! that o%ten prohi&it the "!e o% a!!i!ti$etechnology de$ice! and !o%t#are. ! "g"!to and Schroeder (A- e2plained1

    :rie%ly !tated, the principle &arrier! are1 a lack o% in%ormation a&o"t a!!i!ti$etechnology9 the high co!t and !e$erely limited !o"rce! o% %inancial a!!i!tance %ora!!i!ti$e technology9 in!"%%icient n"m&er! o% organi4ation! and per!onnel a&le topro$ide in!tr"ction in the "!e o% ne# technology9 and de$elopment! !"ch a! thegraphical "!er inter%ace #hich hamper acce!! to ne# comp"ter and electronicin%ormation technology (p. -.

    While there are many i!!"e! related to the "!e o% a!!i!ti$e technology &y indi$id"al!#ith $i!"al impairment!, three area! !"r%ace a! critical i!!"e! #ithin the %ield.

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    With appropriate in!tr"ction, a!!i!ti$e technology can pro$ide a po#er%"l array o% tool!%or !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment!. ppropriate in!tr"ction incl"de! de!igning a plan o%indi$id"ali4ed a!!i!ti$e technology in!tr"ction and teaching a !peciali4ed hierarchy o% !kill! thati! &a!ed "pon diagno!tic e$al"ation!.

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    PositionIn!tr"ction in &lindne!! and lo# $i!ion !peci%ic a!!i!ti$e technology i! a %"ndamental

    component o% the c"rric"l"m %or !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment! that m"!t &e tailored toindi$id"al need! thro"gh diagno!tic and ongoing e$al"ation. ll !t"dent! #ith $i!"al

    impairment! !ho"ld ha$e appropriate in!tr"ction in the "!e o% &lindne!! and lo# $i!ion !peci%ica!!i!ti$e technology &y a highly7'"ali%ied ed"cator. In!tr"ction !ho"ld &e goal7oriented9 %oc"!edon academic, $ocational, and independent li$ing !kill!9 and !ho"ld &"ild on a hierarchy o% !kill!.

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    Kapperman, G., Sticken, ;., ) Hein4e, 3. (*++*-. S"r$ey o% the "!e o% a!!i!ti$e technology &yIllinoi! !t"dent! #ho are $i!"ally impaired. Journal of isual I!pair!ent " #lindness$ 9%$+?7+F.

    Kelly, S. M. (*++F-. +orrelates of assistive technology use by students who are visually i!pairedin the ,&-&* 'ultilevel !odeling of the -pecial Education Ele!entary .ongitudinal -tudy.5np"&li!hed di!!ertation. orthern Illinoi! 5ni$er!ity, Illinoi!.

    Kelly, S. M., ) Smith, D. W. (*+-. 3he impact o% a!!i!ti$e technology on the ed"cationalper%ormance o% !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment!1 !ynthe!i! o% the re!earch. Journal ofisual I!pair!ent " #lindness$ 1/0$/07F0.

    Lo#en%eld, :. (/0-. The visually handicapped child in school& e# ork1 ;ohn Day.

    M"rphy, ;., Hatton, D., Erick!on, K. . (*++F-. E2ploring early literacy practice! o% teacher! o%in%ant!, toddler!, and pre!chooler! #ith $i!"al impairment!. Journal of isual I!pair!ent" #lindness$ 1/(, 0078?.

    6arker, S., :"ckley, W., 3r"e!dell, ., iggio, M., Collin!, M., ) :oardman, :. (+-. :arrier! tothe "!e o% a!!i!ti$e technology #ith children1 !"r$ey. Journal of isual I!pair!ent "#lindness$ 8$ A0*7A00.

    Sah%i, M. ., ho", L., Smith, D. W., ) Kelley, 6. (*++-. !!i!ti$e technology in teacher7trainingprogram!1 national and international per!pecti$e. Journal of isual I!pair!ent "#lindness$ 1/2, A?*7A?F.

    Smith, D. W., Kelley, 6., Ma"!hak, . ;., Gri%%in7Shirley, ., ) Lan, W. . (*++-. !!i!ti$etechnology competencie! %or teacher! o% !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment!. Journal ofisual I!pair!ent " #lindness$ 1/2, 8A/78?.

    3he a"thor! #i!h to e2pre!! their appreciation to the original a"thor! o% thi! paper, Catherine G.Mack and lan ;. Koenig #ho made their contri&"tion in . We ha$e made maJor re$i!ion!

    in that original paper in order to re%lect c"rrent practice!.

    DVI 6o!ition 6aper on !!i!ti$e 3echnology %or St"dent! #ith Vi!"al Impairment! *+ A

    Smith, D. W., Kelly, S. M., ) Kapperman, G. (*+-. !!i!ti$e technology %or !t"dent! #ith $i!"al impairment!. 6o!ition paper o% the

    Di$i!ion on Vi!"al Impairment!, Co"ncil %or E2ceptional Children. rlington, V1 Co"ncil %or E2ceptional Children.