This document discusses assistive technology and its uses for people with disabilities. It defines assistive technology as tools that help people with everyday activities by working around specific deficits. Assistive technology includes both high-tech and low-tech devices that can help people of all ages with learning disabilities reach their full potential. The document also outlines several laws related to assistive technology and provides examples of specific assistive technologies such as FM systems, screen readers, alternative keyboards, and speech recognition software.

1. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Jennifer Farris
ED505

2. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
* Tools or technology aids used to assist children, adolescents,
or adults with everyday activities
* High-tech as well as common, more low-tech devices
* Purpose of tools is to help people work around specific deficits
rather than fixing them
* Tools are intended to help people with learning disabilities of
all ages to reach their full potential

3. STAR
STAR is the name of Alabama’s Assistive Technology Program. It is
administered through the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation
Services and is federally funded by the Rehabilitation Services
Administration (RSA) under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as
amended in 2004 (P.L. 108-364).

4. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CAN:
* minimize the extent to which individuals with LD need to ask
for help
* improve the speed and accuracy of work
* reinforce effective classroom instruction and strengthen skill
development
* help students to “fit in” with classroom learning and routines
* motivate students with LD to set high goals for themselves and
to persevere

5. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY CANNOT:
* compensate for ineffective teaching
* make a learning disability go away
* be expected to provide the same benefits to different users
* automatically promote positive attitudes toward learning

6. THE LAW SAYS:
* Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
 Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public
accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications
 Title IV addresses assistive technology
* Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
 Guarantees eligible children and youth with disabilities will have a free and appropriate public
education
* Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
 Requires that all electronic and information technologies developed and used by any Federal
government agency must be accessible to people with disabilities

7. THE LAW (CONTINUED)
* Assistive Technology Act of 1998
 Provides funds to states to support three types of programs:
 Establishment of assistive technology centers, info centers, equipment loan facilities, referral
services, and other consumer-oriented programs
 Protection and advocacy services to help people with disabilities and their families
 Federal/state programs to provide low interest loans and other alternative financing options to
help people with disabilities purchase needed assistive technology.
* Carl D. Perkins vocational and Technical Education Act
Amendments of 1998
 Schools are required to:
 Integrate academic, vocational and technical training
 Increase the use of technology
 Provide professional development opportunities to staff
 Develop and implement evaluations of program quality
 Expand and modernize quality programs
 Link secondary and post-secondary vocational education

8. ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICE
FM Systems
 FM Systems use a wireless transmitter to broadcast a signal throughout a given
area. The size of the broadcast area is determined by the power of the transmitter.
 The teacher wears a transmitter and the student wears a receiver. The receiver is
very small and can be integrated into the child’s hearing aid.
 The teacher speaks into a small lapel microphone and her voice is amplified to the
student wearing the receiver.
 The system is portable and can be used to amplify the voice, a movie soundtrack or
any other audio source.

9. ASSISTIVE VISUAL DEVICES
Screen reader
 A screen reader is a software application that attempts to identify and interpret
what is being displayed on the computer screen. This interpretation is then
represented to the user with text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output.
 Some programs speak or make other sounds so that they can be used by blind
people. These programs are termed self-voicing and can be a form of assistive
technology if they are designed to remove the need to use a screen reader.

10. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR
LEARNING DISABLED
Alternative Keyboards
 allow the user to customize the keyboard by changing the layout and appearance of
the keys. For example, in the standard position, the top row (of the alphabetic keys)
starts with Q-W-E-R-T-Y. Alternative keyboards allow users to create their own
order. For example, you can change the keys to go in alphabetical order, A-B-C-D-E-
F. The letters can also be made larger in size. Specific options depend on the
particular product.
 Students who have learning disabilities or have trouble typing may benefit from
customization that reduces input choices, groups keys by color/location, and adds
graphics to aid comprehension.

11. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR
PHYSICALLY DISABLED
Speech Recognition
 Allows people to control a computer by talking to it.
 A student speaks instructions into a microphone that is connected to a computer.
 The student can instruct the computer to perform commands such as opening a
document, saving documents, deleting, and more
 The student can also write text into a document such as Microsoft Word just by
speaking into the microphone.

12. RESOURCES
Information
http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/assistive-technology-education/overview-assistive-technology
http://www.fctd.info/resources/techlaws/php
http://www.californiaearinstitute.com/hearing-device-center-listening-device-classroom-bay-area.php
http://www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/computer/screen-readers.php
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/assistive-technology-tools-writing
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped
Photo Credits
www.Academic-ict-2010.wikispaces.com
www.pavoneassistivetechnology.wikispaces.com
www.ccit333.wikispaces.com
www.tecear.com
www.nortwesternflipside.com
www.tech241.wikispaces.com