What exactly is Assistive Technology?

The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines Assistive Technology as “any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability”. Assistive Technology can be a device or service that provides a person with a disability a form of support in an area of weakness. Although the IDEA’s definition of Assistive Technology encompasses a wide variety of devices and services, the IDEA does indicate an exception which states “the term does not include a medical device that is surgically implanted or the replacement of such device”.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IDEA A federal law that requires schools to provide free appropriate public

education to students with disabilities.

IDEA

Each public agency shall ensure that assistive technology devices or assistive technology services are made available to a child with a disability if required as part of the child’s special education, related services or supplementary aids and services. [§34 CFR 300.308]

Assistive technology devices and/or services essential for a student to receive Free Appropriate Public Education shall be made available. [§20 USC 1412(a)(1)]

Assistive technology shall support a student’s participation in learning in the Least Restrictive Environment. [§20 USC 1412(a)(5)]

All students who are blind and individuals with print disabilities in elementary schools and secondary schools have access to print instructional materials, including textbooks, in accessible format, free of charge. [§20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(23)(B)]

VV-Talker

The VV-Talker is a device designed to help hearing impaired individuals overcome their inability to effectively speak. The device has a screen attached to a wand. Sounds are associated with vibrations. When a person speaks, the device provides feedback on accuracy and teaches the person to speak with the correct vocal vibrations to achieve the correct modulation.

Jaws for Windows

The most popular screen reader worldwide JAWS for Windows is designed to provide access to many software applications and the Internet using most web browsers. Jaws internal software speech synthesizer uses the computer’s internal sound card to take information from the screen and read it aloud, providing technology to access a wide variety of information.

Livescribe is a breakthrough low‐cost mobile computing platform, which is an integrated system of smartpen, dot paper, applications, and development tools designed to enhance personal productivity, learning, communication and self-expression for anyone that uses pen and paper. Livescribe has two models of smartpens – Echo and Pulse. A smartpen is a computer in a pen with advanced processing power and substantial memory which can assist people with various disabilities in actively participating in classroom activities.

Adaptive switches allow people with physical disabilities and special needs to activate assistive technology devices in their environment. Although the device looks like a simple button, the right switch will engage the person into a world of access to communication devices, environmental controls, computer software and mobile devices.

Switches