Assistive Technology Essay

All in all, Assistive technologies are devices that helps a disabled individuals to function better in life. It benefits them at work, in school, and at home making everyday life simpler for people with disabilities. Although there are many types of assistive technologies, the specific assistive technology that stood out to me tremendously is Telecommunication Devices for the deaf. What the device itself is, the device history, and the protocols for the device, and the messaging system of the device are the reasons I chose this assistive

In this artifact, I researched for alternative technological tool(see Assistive technology.doc) for students with disabilities to represent how technology could be a great assistance for them. This assignment represents how technology could be used by all students no matter what they need. Therefore, in this assignment, I looked for tools and ways to implement access to technology resources for students who have neuromuscular difficulties, and/or difficulties of counting with her finger to show that there are varieties of technological tool for all the needs.

Donna has had some introduction to assistive technology because she uses a CCTV device during her classes. “Assistive technology makes information displayed visually and in print available and readable for students, and provides information about the world that might not ordinarily be possible for them to know.” (Allman, C., Lewis, S., McNear, D. and Farrenkopf, C. 2014) Students have an enhanced ability to be in control of their learning with the use of assistive technology. IDEA describes assistive technology as any item, program, equipment or product that improves functional capability for a child with a disability. Danna’s use of Braille would also qualify as an assistive technology for her. An activity that would use both her CCTV and Braille would be for Donna to practice taking notes from the board. The teacher or even other student could assist Donna with developing these

This article explains how children with disabilities can utilize technology as a way to learn. Some of the technology equipment is known for assisting children with disabilities. Both high and low technology work for children in different stages of development. This also explains how some devices are not as simple to use as they may seem. Also in collaboration of the professional and child can make it easier when using technology, and it can help a child achieve success. Some of the equipment used in therapy sessions can be different than the ones used in the classroom (Mulligan, 2003). This means the child may have to adapt to the device in

Why is the role families’ play in the process of selecting and using an assistive technology so important? Well for one, the parents or guardians, of a child with a disability that requires assistive technology, knows their child like the back of their hand. They know what their child is capable of using and what will be beneficial for their child to succeed. Assistive technology refers to the devices and services that can be used to increase, maintain, or improve a student’s capabilities. This means that parents should have a good idea on whether or not a device is right for their child.

Looking closer at assistive technology is appears that there is a lot of resources and support available to teachers. Better educating and influencing of the community, peers, staff and parents towards positive attitudes to inclusive classroom teaching generates greater support for teachers. “Technology is a means of empowerment to people with disabilities ; denying them the access exacerbates the effect of the disability” (Webb, 2000). Assistive technology improves confidence and self esteem (Duhaney & Duhaney, 2000: Schere, 2005). If key factors are considered carefully when programming and implementing assistive technology it has the ability to enhance

Students using assistive technology to practice and build experience in functional skills should achieve greater independence which will enhance the quality of their lives .When students' quality of life is enhanced, everything else in their lives improves: school performance, social relationships, family and home life, and self-confidence all benefit from helping students find interdependence in living their lives and contributing at home, work, and school. Assistive technology has the ability to impact greatly on the lives of people with disabilities] Most students with disabilities can and do benefit from technology in the classroom. Incorporating technology increases students' motivation to learn and personalizes lessons to a student's

“The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn 't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.” –Steve Ballmer Technology can be very empowering especially for children who are exceptional. In understanding both Assistive Technology and Instructional technology one may begin to see how they can both beneficial to student with disabilities.

Computer-based reading software is most helpful for students with learning disabilities when it provides supplemental practice, applies proven reading strategies, and offers immediate and consistent feedback (Bishop, & Edwards Santoro, 2006). With these criteria in mind, computer-assisted instruction is beneficial for at-risk students by providing activities that can be motivational and provide positive reinforcement. By allowing at-risk students to work at their own pace, computer-assisted instructional software can provide the additional practice these students need to help build automaticity (Hook & McCabe, 2006).

Technology is rapidly changing and growing, and the ability to use technology is almost essential for working in the real world. Educators are not only responsible for teaching students how to use common technologies but are also responsible for assisting students in using technology to improve there ability to learn and stay engaged in the classroom. There are various articles and studies that have been done to show that different types of basic technology, and more specialized assistive technology, can have a benefit on the education for students’ with disabilities. Along with the articles and studies done on the effectiveness of technology in the classroom, there are a multitude of website that offer resources and extensive research on devices and apps created to help improve students accessibility to the classroom and curriculum. The Library of Congress is a valuable tool when it comes to integrating technology in the classroom. There are various types of primary and secondary sources available to assist students in understanding different topics along with interactive websites to help students remain engaged in the learning process.

The use of technology in educating children with special needs has widely grown in the past few decades. Individuals with special needs are unique and all have different areas in which they need assistance. Due to the advancements in assistive technology, computer programs, software, and other technology tools, it has become much easier for people to find useful and easier ways to become educated. Because of this, “technology has changed the way people with disabilities live, work, and learn.” (Winzer,98)

Through examination of research, readers will gain an awareness of AT as well as its implications for individuals with disabilities. It’s critical to understand that although AT helps people perform everyday tasks, each individual has unique needs. These needs are contingent on their disability and what works for one individual may not work for another (Hetzroni & Shrieber, 2004). In that case, there is no easy answer when it comes to AT. AT does have its flaws and unfortunately will never reach perfection (Borg, Larrsen, & Ostergren, 2011). As a democratic society we can closely examine the problems that plague AT and hopefully formulate a solution that will meet the needs of everyone. Moreover, in order to meet individual needs it’s vital that we explore research that’s focused on the use and types of AT (Alper et al., 2006). Understanding the use and types of AT will provide us with knowledge on how AT helps facilitate individuals to perform activities in the eminent realm of technology (Borg et al., 2011).

"Assistive technology (or adaptive technology) is specialized hardware and software applications that enable [disabled] individuals to use a computer." ( Hyatt, Glenda Watson, pg. 5) It's a pretty simple theory as to what assistive technology actually is, however what goes into actually accommodating someone with disabilities is a rather complicated process. There are many problems, one important one being the need of equipment that can be mounted on a wheelchair. Aside from these problems, there are currently products out which can help PWD's use their computers.

With science and technology making remarkable development in every field, most essentially, edu-cational system has taken a noteworthy step towards excellence with impressive progress of Infor-mation and Communication Technologies (ICT). Furthermore, when these technologies are availa-ble, affordable and accessible, they represent more than a transformation for people with disabili-ties.The persons with disabilities demand different educational methodology and material. This has led people, especially the parents, to look out for solutions to educational needs of these special children. Of late, the solution has come in the form of information and communication technology (ICT) tools, which helps and enhances the learning expectations of these persons. Prior to ICT in-terventions, the field of education was the first to develop a range of special education programmes that have helped persons with disabilities to get educated. In recent years, ICT is playing a vital role in the development of educational curriculum and also in teaching learning process using the latest advancements in the area of IT and hardware. It supports these students to improve their knowledge and learning skills as well as enables them to most effectively compete with their peers in school and ultimately in the society. Hence the ICT based assistive tools are widely used to sup-port inclusive learning.

There are many different technological tools available to help disabled students be involved and interact in the classroom, as well as learn at their own pace using computer assistance tools. These tools help the teacher by making it easier to communicate with the student and help the student by helping them fit in and learn at a similar pace as the rest of the class.