DALISHA CARDWELLED 305

UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA

Assistive Technology

What is assistive technology?

Assistive technology is any kind of technology that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a disability. Can be anything from a simple (low-tech) device such

as a magnifying glass, to a complex (high-tech) device, such as a computerized communication system.

Can be big — an automated van lift for a wheelchair — or small — a grip attached to a pen or fork by Velcro.

Assistive technology helps to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities by providing them a way to fully engage in life's activities.

Law in Regard to Assistive Technology

The Assistive Technology Act was first passed by Congress and signed by the President as the Technology-Related Assistance Act of 1988. The Tech. Act is intended to promote people’s awareness of, and access to, assistive

technology  (AT) devices and services. The Act seeks to provide AT to persons with disabilities, so they can more fully

participate in education, employment, and daily activities on a level playing field with other members of their communities.

The Act covers people of all ages, with any and all disabilities, and in all environments (early intervention, K-12, post-secondary, vocational rehabilitation, community living, aging services, etc.).

It’s often called the Tech. Act for short and has been reauthorized in 1994, 1998, and 2004.

The most current version of the Act was reauthorized in 2010. In 1997, reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA) instructs that all individualized education plan teams consider assistive technology resources when planning for a student with a disability. The reauthorization in 2004 simply served to reemphasize, to schools, the importance of

academic achievement by students with disabilities and the need to do whatever it takes to meet each student’s needs.

Hearing Impaired Assistive Technology

Frequency Modulation (FM) Systems

They allow the child to hear the teacher’s voice at an appropriate and constant intensity level. The sound level is consistent regardless of the distance between the child and the teacher.

They allow the teacher’s voice to be heard more prominently than background noise. This is true even when the background noise is closer to the child than the teacher’s voice.

They allow for self-monitoring of the child’s own voice through the conventional hearing aid microphone.

They allow for the conventional hearing aid microphone to be turned off. This enables the child to concentrate only on the teacher.

Seeing Impaired Assistive Technology

Video Magnifier

Uses a stand-mounted or handheld video camera to project a magnified image onto a video monitor, a television screen, or a computer monitor.

Seeing impaired students will be able to read small text more easily when it is magnified through this device.

Learning Disabled Assistive Technology

Electronic Math Worksheets

Software programs that can help students organize, align, and work through math problems on a computer screen.

Numbers that appear onscreen can also be read aloud via a speech synthesizer.

This may be helpful to people who have trouble aligning math problems with pencil and paper.

Physically Disabled Assistive Technology

Trackball Mouse

An oversized trackball mouse can provide easier agility for those with motor impairments to control mouse activity on a computer screen. 

This operates as a switch device and mouse control. 

References

The Family Center on Technology and Disability. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.fctd.info/factsheet/at101Center for Parent Information and Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/ata/#purposeHearing Assistive Technology (HATS) for Children. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.asha.org/public/ hearing/Hearing-Assistive Technology-for-Children/Video Magnifiers. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/using-technology/ assistive-technology/video-magnifiers-221/1235Electronic Math Worksheets. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/assistive-technology/952-electronic-math-worksheets.gsMouse Alternatives. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2015, from

http://students.depaul.edu/~rwise1/RR_Web/mouse.htm