Essay on Augmented Communication Devices

The former US President Bill Clinton said, “New information and communications technologies can improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, but only if such technologies are designed from the beginning, so that everyone can use them.” Discussing disabilities in general will take longer than one day. I am going to talk about physical disabilities .As the Longman dictionary defines physical disability is a limitation of a person 's physical functioning, mobility, dexterity and stamina. The issue of disability is not just a matter that concerns disabled people. It has been the problem for ages in the American history and if it is not controlled it can cause big fight. When someone is disabled, it does not mean that he or she cannot be educated. According to the Washington Post, education is the breath of life, without it man cannot survive. Education is free in America, which means everyone can obtain an equal education. One would ask if colleges have gone too far to accommodate students with disabilities. Colleges have not gone far enough to support the disabled.

A potential cause of this lack of understanding is few disabled persons being involved in the research process. This makes it difficult to understand and break down communication barriers. Braithwaite references an ongoing study consisting of 57 interviews. The goal of the study is to gather disabled persons' perspective on communication with able-bodied persons. Perspectives of both able-bodied and disabled person can be considered when trying to understand the current communication complications facing the separate

After watching the video about Rachel Kolb, who has trouble hearing, the insights I gained were not to put limitations on children who are deaf or have trouble hearing. Educators must give these students words of encouragement rather than bringing them down like one teacher did to Rachel. She mentions that she is more than disabled. She is just like everyone else and is capable to do everything like everyone else. Rachel is a great inspiration to all children with disabilities. She courage’s to go beyond the expectations. Rachel would love to be a writer one day and she states that people do not think she could do it but with her motivation, nothing will stop her. Some of the education considerations described in chapter 11 for learners with

While Ian has a hearing aid to help him be able to hear others. The classroom may benefit from a Telecommunication Device for the Deaf (TDD) as this devices is used for students who are deaf of has a hearing impairment. The devices has a QWERTY board and a small screen that will allow the student to type their word and/or sentence to communicate to others. Therefore, Ian who is non-verbal will be able to use this device to advance his ability of communicating rather than solely using the PECS system. As the student is learning to use the PECS device, the TDD device is hardly used in the classroom setting, but with the student is recommended as it provides a student tools to communicate. In each lesson, the teacher will instruct the student with to use the TDD device to communicate during the

Most people could only dream of being awarded a Nobel Prize Award, and very few people can say that they have. On a normal occasion this is very impressive accomplishment on its own, but it is considered even more impressive if you are challenged with a learning disability. This was the case of Carol Greider who worked through her dyslexia and managed to make major discoveries in the science world. Her discoveries have had the impact to help make major medical advancements. Additionally, Carol has become an inspiration for many by working extremely hard to achieve so much despite the fact that tests in school labelled her as below average. In the lab, however, she was exceptional.

Imagine a world of silence, not hearing loud chatter in a classroom, or your favorite song. For many people this is their reality. It might be envisioned how intriguing this could be, but think of all the activities that will be missed, the difficulties faced in everyday life. The deaf live this way daily. They are affected in multiple ways by not being able to communicate fully. It affects their schooling, social lives, and independence as they grow. We can solve this through providing ASL in schools.

Being raised in California I have been exposed to diversity in all aspects of my life, ranging from race to religion to disabilities. Growing up with severe visual impairment -- having strabismus and no depth perception -- has provided me with a unique understanding for people who grew up with additional challenges in regards to education. Due to this empathy, I was inspired to help people who endure these challenges in my community. This community outreach, in turn, greatly impacted me, shaping me and my outlook on communication.

I am a Speech-Language Pathology/Audiology and Deaf Studies combined major. Throughout middle and high school I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer in elementary school classrooms. Many times, I worked in the second grade special education classrooms. This experience engrained in my mind what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. My favorite part of volunteering was helping the children with special needs. Many of these children were isolated from their classmates as a result of what was described to me then as a disability. As I got to know a little bit about these children I saw more and more that the label "disabled" that society places upon these children was not applicable. Deafness is a difference, not a disability.

Elle, a special needs person who is 14 years old has cerebral palsy. She is assisted in communicating with others by the use of a Dynavox, a computer assisted software that allows her to use a head mouse to point at a picture and the Dynavox talks for her. She is not able to communicate her wants and needs at school and home, and is able to chat with friends and interact with her

Public stigma has created a negative connotation of these disorders, therefore; many that possess these disorders become labeled. These stereotypes create bigotry that results in the discomfort of the general population. This discomfort leads to emotional reactions that would otherwise cease to exist were it not for the obliviousness of the population. All of this leads to a change in the way individuals with communication disorders become regarded. Whether it be avoidance, bullying, mimicking, pity, or segregation, they are treated differently. Due to these behaviors, chances for social pastimes, educational endeavors, and opportunities for speech are reduced. As a result, these individuals are left with their psychological health at risk and reduced achievement levels. The individuals who stuttered in school and were bullied for it may not seek prosperous employment after graduation, because they do not believe anyone will take them seriously. The girl with the cleft palate may not feel as beautiful as she deserves. The individual born with severe hearing loss may be convinced they should not reproduce. The bottom line is, the general public mishandles those with communication disorders because they are ignorant of the origins of and treatments available to the individuals who possess these

“Hi Natalie, are you going to come to my house today!” My Uncle Shawn calls to me each time I see him. My Uncle Shawn has cerebral palsy and is autistic. It is a big accomplishment that he can call my name and engage me in a conversation. When he was born the oxygen was cut off to his brain long enough to cause the cerebral palsy and at the age of five it was determined that he was also autistic. He has always struggled to communicate his needs and feelings to each person in his life. Throughout his life the support he has had from speech pathologist has made a tremendous difference in his quality of life.

Technology is used to help treat children with disabilities, mostly forms of autism, and is being seen as useful. Autism is a disability with many forms which affect one's brain development. All the different forms are often called ASD for autism spectrum disorders. There is a lot of controversy on how children with disabilities should be helped with their speech and behavior. One in every sixty-eight people is affected with a form of autism and most need help getting to the point that they can interact with others naturally so treatment is an important part of their lives. Most people with autism need treatment to help with speech and behavior. Technology should be used in their treatment because it offers opportunities, it interests kids, and it is shown to have a larger effect on kids.

There are several accommodations being made for the deaf and hard of hearing students who attend public schools. To break the Deaf and Hard of Hearing classrooms down, we can subject them into four different types of classrooms. First off, there is the regular classroom to which there is the student is with non-disabled students and all instruction is from the classroom teacher.  (Miller, 2012) There are little to no additional support services provided for the deaf or hard of hearing student because of the teacher’s focus is on other student’s who have different educational skills. Along with being not a focal point towards the teacher, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing student does not have a role-model to look towards because every other student

The authors of this article initially explained that speech-language impairment is most common disability, yet it is the least detected disability. This is problematic because a lot of student that need special education services are not being helped. Difficulties in detecting this disability are derived from: not knowing characteristics speech-language impairment, mistaking speech-language impairment for another disability, and ignoring speech-language impairment assuming the child will grow out of it. The authors further explained that early signs of this disability are most commonly notice by the child’s caregiver, thus collaboration with the caregiver becomes imperative when trying to both identify and set goals to overcome the disability.

“Assistive technology and accessible educational materials create opportunities for students with disabilities to enjoy greater access and meaningful participation in the general education curriculum with their non-disabled peers.” (Schwab 3). It is very important that there are new ways discovered to make an individual feel like one who isn’t disabled, especially when dealing with a mental or intellectual disability. Almost every disability that we are familiar with we don’t know everything about. When scientists discover new ways to cope with a disability whether it be emotional, physical, or intellectual, they will have created a new piece of assistive technology and received more information concerning the disability. There will always be room for improvement when it comes to assistive technology, because it will continuously grow and change with the changing disabilities.