ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

By: Amanda Ridge

DEFINITION:

Assistive technology (often abbreviated as AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

EXAMPLES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: Low tech like communication boards made of cardboard

or fuzzy felt. High tech such as special purpose computers. Hardware such as prosthetics, attachment devices

(mounting systems), and positioning devices. Computer hardware, like special switches, keyboards,

and pointing devices. Computer software such as screen-readers or

communication software. Inclusive or specialized learning materials and

curriculum aids. Specialized curricular software. AT can be much more, including electronic devices,

wheel chairs, walkers, braces, educational software, power lifts, pencil holders, eye-gaze, and head trackers.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND THE LAW

LAWS AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act - Section 501 of this act

prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in Federal employment and requires Federal agencies to establish affirmative action plans for the hiring, placement, and advancement of people with disabilities in Federal employment. Additional information and definitions related to Section 501 can be found at the EEOC website.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act - Section 504 prohibits discrimination based on disability in federally funded and federally conducted programs or activities in the United States, including employment programs.

Section 505 of the Rehabilitation Act - Section 505 establishes the enforcement procedures for title V of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 505 (a) (1) provides that the procedures and rights set forth in Section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 shall be available with respect to any complaint under Section 501. Section 505 (a)(2) provides that the remedies, rights and procedures set forth in title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 shall be available to any person alleging a violation of Section 504. Section 508 is also enforced through the procedures established in Section 505 (a)(2).

LAWS AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act - In 1998,

Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, to make available new opportunities for people with disabilities, and to encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. 794d), agencies must give disabled �employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to the access available to others. See also Section 508 Standards

LAWS AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) - Prohibits discrimination and

ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. The ADA requires that reasonable accommodations be provided in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities. Additional technical assistance regarding the ADA is available through the ADA Technical Assistance Program.

Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 - Section 255 of the requires manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and providers of telecommunications services to ensure that such equipment and services are accessible to persons with disabilities, if readily achievable. The Federal Communications Commission's Report and Order Implementing Section 255 was released in September 1999.

The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) issued final guidelines for accessibility, usability and compatibility of telecommunications equipment and customer premises equipment covered by Section 255 of the Telecommunication Act of 1996.

Assistive Technology Act of 1998 - The Assistive Technology Act establishes a grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, to provide Federal funds to support State programs that address the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities.

HEARING IMPAIRED

WHAT IS HEARING LOSS?? Hearing loss is a common problem

caused by noise, aging, disease, and heredity. Hearing is a complex sense involving both the ear's ability to detect sounds and the brain's ability to interpret those sounds, including the sounds of speech.

TYPES OF HEARING LOSS: Hearing loss can be categorized by which part of the auditory system is damaged. There are three basic types of hearing loss: conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and mixed hearing loss.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT HEARING LOSS: Hearing loss is a major public health issue that is the third most common physical

condition after arthritis and heart disease. Gradual hearing loss can affect people of all ages -- varying from mild to profound.

Hearing loss is a sudden or gradual decrease in how well you can hear. Depending on the cause, it can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.

Degrees of hearing loss: mild, moderate, severe, profound. Congenital hearing loss means you are born without hearing, while gradual hearing

loss happens over time. Hearing loss is an invisible condition; we cannot see hearing loss, only its effects.

Because the presence of a hearing loss is not visible, these effects may be attributed to aloofness, confusion, or personality changes.

In adults, the most common causes of hearing loss are noise and aging. There is a strong relationship between age and reported hearing loss.

In older people, a hearing loss is often confused with, or complicates, such conditions as dementia.

Noise-induced hearing loss may happen slowly over time or suddenly. Being exposed to everyday noises, such as listening to very loud music, being in a noisy work environment, or using a lawn mower, can lead to hearing loss over many years.

Sudden, noise-induced hearing loss from gunfire and explosions is the number one disability caused by combat in current wars.

Other causes of hearing loss include earwax buildup, an object in the ear, injury to the ear or head, ear infection, a ruptured eardrum, and other conditions that affect the middle or inner ear.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEARING IMPAIRED:

A teacher reads a book to the class while wearing a microphone.

The hearing impaired student in the classroom hears the teacher through a

hearing aid.

VISION IMPAIRED

WHAT IS VISION IMPAIRMENT?? Defined as an impairment in vision that,

even with correction, adversely affects a child’s educational performance. The term includes both partial sight and blindness.

TYPES OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT: Low visual acuity means vision between 20/70

and 20/400 with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less

Blindness is defined as a visual acuity worse than 20/400 with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 10 degrees or less

Legal blindness in the US means visual acuity of 20/200 or worse with the best possible correction, or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

Visual acuity of 20/70 to 20/400 (inclusive) is considered moderate visual impairment or low vision.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED:

TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR VISUAL IMPAIRMENT:Screen enlargers, or screen magnifiersOn-screen keyboardsRefreshable Braille displaysScreen readersTalking and large-print word processorsTTY/TDD conversion modems Text-to-Speech (TTS) or speech synthesizers

LEARNING DISABLED

WHAT IS A LEARNING DISABILITY? Learning disabilities are neurological

differences in processing information that severely limit a person's ability to learn in a specific skill area. That is, these disorders are the result of actual differences in the way the brain processes, understands, and uses information.

TYPES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES:

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE LEARNING DISABLED: Abbreviation expanders Alternative keyboards Audio books and publications Electronic math work sheets Freeform database software Graphic organizers and outlining Information/data managers Optical character recognition Personal FM listening systems Portable word processors Proofreading programs Speech-recognition programs Speech synthesizers/screen readers Talking calculators Talking spell checkers and electronic dictionaries Variable-speed tape recorders Word-prediction programs

TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE LEARNING DISABLED:

Example for Reading Example for Math

PHYSICALLY DISABLED

WHAT IS PHYSICALLY DISABLED? Physical disability pertains to total or

partial loss of a person’s bodily functions (eg walking, gross motor skills, bladder control etc) and total or partial loss of a part of the body (eg a person with an amputation).

EXAMPLES OF BEING PHYSICALLY DISABLED: amputation; arthritis; cerebral palsy; dementia upper limbs; multiple-sclerosis; muscular dystrophy; acquired spinal injury (paraplegia or

quadriplegia); post-polio syndrome; spina bifida.

TYPES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED: Orthoses Prosthetic limbs Wheelchairs of various

types Tricycles, manual and

motorized Crutches non-slip surface on chair blocks for feet bolster or rolled towel adapted or alternate chair standing frame floor sitter

adapted toys and games adapted puzzles switch activations with

battery interrupter adapted sporting

equipment universal cuff to hold

crayons, markers modified stampers and

scissors beeping balls arm support for drawing graphic design software computer games

EXAMPLES OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE PHYSICALLY IMPAIRED:

Example of Orthoses Example of a universal cuff

REFERENCES

American Speech- Language-Hearing Association. Types of hearing loss. |Online| http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/Types-of-Hearing-Loss/ |Accessed: 7 June 2015| Assistireland. Ultralite finger yokes.

|Online|http://www.assistireland.ie/eng/Products_Directory /Communication/Writing/Grip_Adapters_and_Holders/Ultralite_Finger_Yokes.html |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| Assistireland. Reading pen oxford edition.

|Online|http://www.assistireland.ie/eng/Products_Directory /Communication/Reading/Reading_Accessories/Reading_Pen_Oxford_Edition.html |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| Assistive Technology Industry Association. What is assistive technology? |Online| http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859#What_is_AT_ |Accessed on: 7 June 2015| Attainment Company. Talking calculator: make math fun with a talking calculator |Online| http://www.attainmentcompany.com/talking-calculator |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| Ausburg College. Free or low cost assistive technology for everyone |Online| http://www.augsburg.edu/class/groves/assistive-technology/everyone/ |Accessed on: 7 June 2015| Cross the Hurdles. Assistive devices for physically disabled. |Online|

http://crossthehurdles.org/ index.php?title=Assistive_Devices_For_Physically_Disabled |Accessed on: 8 June

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http://www.monarchcenterforautism. org/assistive-technology/types |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| National Disabilities Rights Network. Assistive technology: federal law and regulations. |Online| http://www.ndrn.org/issues/assistive-technology/292-assistive-technology-federal-law-and- regulations.html |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| News Medical. Types of visual impairment. |Online| http://www.news-medical.net/ health/Types-of-visual-impairment.aspx |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| NIH Senior Health. What is hearing loss? |Online| http://nihseniorhealth.gov/ /hearingloss/hearinglossdefined/01.html |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| Physical Disability Council of NSW. What is physical disability?|Online| http://www.pdcnsw.org.au/ /index.php?option=com_content&id=49:what-is-physical-disabili ty&Itemid=118 |Accessed on: 8 June 2015| Restorative Care of America. Pediatric orthoses. |Online|

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