A look into some of the various disabilities that affect people in the world, and assistive technology that can aid them in their ability to learn and communicate with others.
4. Vision Problems The Blind The Visually Impaired Children suffering from visual problems may miss opportunities to have experiences and to learn 4
5. Auditory Problems The Deaf Those suffering from hearing loss Children suffering from this disability often suffer a delay in developing communication skills 5
6. Mental Retardation Also known as “Intellectual Disability” Those with this disability develop more slowly than others 6
7. Students with a learning disability Can cause a person to have trouble learning and using certain skills Can vary from person to person Includes dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscacula 7
8. FASD- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder The range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. There is no cure, but is 100% preventable 8
9. Assistive Technology There is a variety of assistive technology that can aid those with disabilities Assistive technology is not limited to one specific disability 9
10. Speech Recognition Software Converts spoken word to text Can aid those who are blind as well as those who have trouble reading or writing Can also aid those who cannot use a keyboard 10
11. Text to Speech Converts written text into an audio format Can aid those who are blind as well as those who have trouble reading or writing 11
12. Word Prediction Software Provides a series of words that are commonly used in response to the users keystrokes. Often used by those with physical disabilities that do not allow them to type as fast. 12
13. Social Networking Sites Allow users to communicate with others without the use of a phone or face-to-face contact Can be used by the deaf, and others that cannot communicate normally 13
14. Switches Come in a variety of shapes and sizes Can control devices as well as access computer systems Greatly aids those who suffer from physical disabilities 14
15. How We Can Help The Disabled Teach them how to use the assistive technology they are given Be sure to give them plenty of positive reinforcement when they are successful 15
16. Given You A Lot To Think About There are many people in the world with disabilities that affect how they learn and function There is a great deal of assistive technology that can aid them With the right technology to help them, anyone can learn! 16
Hinweis der Redaktion
There are many people in the world that have disabilities that can limit their ability to learn new information. The Purpose of this lesson is to introduce a number of disabilities that affect people in their day-to-day lives. Then, examples of assistive technology will be shown along with information on who can benefit from the assistive technology.
Many people in society are affected by physical disabilities that limit their moment and ability to function in society. Many of those who suffer from physical disabilities suffer from cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term for a group of disorders affecting body movement, balance, and posture. Individuals suffering from this cannot properly control or coordinating certain muscles. This can make even simple movements difficult.
Those with vision problems are either blind or are visually impaired. This includes those who are partially sighted, suffer from low vision, are legally blind, or are totally blind. Many children who have multiple disabilities are also likely to have visual impairment, which can result in developmental delays in their motor, cognitive, and/or social skills.
Those affected by auditory problems refers to those whose ability to discern certain frequencies of sound is either completely or partially impaired. This is especially alarming for children who are affected by auditory problems. Much of our language and communication skills develop most rapidly in childhood, and when a child suffers from hearing loss they can suffer a delay in developing these skills.
Mental Retardation, known as intellectual disability in today’s world, refers to when someone has limitations in mental functioning as well as their ability to communicate with others and take care of themselves. Because of this, children with an intellectual disability will develop more slowly than other children. Mental retardation is not disease, nor is it a type of mental illness. There is also no cure for mental retardation.
Learning disability is a term used to describe people suffering from specific types of learning problems. This includes those suffering dyslexia (difficulty in reading), dysgraphia (difficulty in writing), and dyscalcula (difficulty in math). Because of the variety of different learning disabilities, specific learning disabilities vary from person to person. There is no cure for learning disabilities, though students can learn to be successful if they are properly taught how to get around their learning disability.
FASD- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is an Umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in an individual whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. This can lead to deficiencies in both the child’s physical and mental growth. Though there is no cure for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, it is 100% so long as one does not consume alcohol while they are pregnant.
To aid those with disabilities, various forms of assistive technology have been created. Remember that most assistive technology is not limited to those with one specific disability, it can help a variety of people with different disabilities.
Speech Recognition Software is used to convert spoken word to text. With practice, and patience, one can control their computer and write up entire papers without ever touching a keyboard. This tool can be beneficial to great deal of people with disabilities, such as those who are blind or suffer a learning disability or mental retardation which can make it difficult for them to read or write.
Text to speech software converts written text into an audio format that a person can listen to. This software can be very useful for various people with disabilities. It is great for people who are blind or suffer vision problems since they cannot read the text on their computer. It is also great for those people with a learning disability that makes it difficult for them to read to write.
Word Prediction Software can great aid those who use word processors on their computers because it provides a series of words that commonly used in response to the users keystrokes. This is a great aid to those with physical disabilities that make it difficult for them to type. This can also be very useful for people with learning disabilities who have trouble spelling words.
Social Networking Sites such as MySpace and Facebook have become quite popular because they Allow users to communicate with one another without the use of a phone or face-to-face contact. Granted email and instant message have been around for a while, but these sites allow users to communicate with others on a more advanced level. Site such as these have greatly impacted how people communicate in today’s world. Those who are deaf or cannot communicate through regular means, for instance, are now able to communicate with others on these sites without the need to talk or listen.
Switches are devices that come in a variety of different shapes and sizes that allow someone to control devices and access systems on their computers such as an on-screen keyboard. These are wonderful aids to those who are physically disabled and cannot use a mouse or keyboard.
There are a number of ways we can help those who are disabled. We can make sure that they know how to use the assistive technology that we provide them, and give them plenty of positive reinforcement when they succeed in using the assistive technology correctly.
There are people throughout the world with various disabilities that affect their ability to learn and communicate with others. Various forms of assistive technology have been created that can aid them in their lives, far more that what has been presented here. When people have the right technology to aid their disability, they are capable of learning as well as anyone else in society.
