Assistive Technology

Benjamin Estes

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology (often abbreviated as AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities (What is Assistive Technology).

What’s the Law on Assistive Technology?The Government, understanding the need to help and provide resources to all students, created the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); it mandates that assistive technology devices and services be considered for each child with a disability. In 1997 IDEA was amended to focus on a student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) as a method for general curriculum access. Rather than just specifying a student’s special education services, the IEP must include information about a student’s current abilities and how his or her disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum.In addition, other federal laws were passed. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires schools to provide assistive technology for students with disabilities. This is to assure equal access, and remove barriers to programs and services (What does the Law Say, 2013).

Types of Assistive Technology

Hearing Impaired

Closed Captions are the text version of what’s being spoken on television, movies, or a presentation. The ADA requires public entities to provide appropriate accommodations for those who have different abilities. Closed captioning helps provide equal access to new media (Callis).

Callis

Seeing Impaired

Video magnifiers are just one of many tools to aid visually impaired students. These devices magnify the content laid under them (usually textbooks, novels, primary documents, or magazines) to an adjustable font for the individual’s comfort.

Smartview Synergy

Learning Disabled

Planners are a great way for everyone to keep up with a school’s busy schedule. For many learning disabled students planners are a vital part of their education. They provide a structure and guide that’s both comforting to the student and a resource for the teacher and parents to communicate (What should…).

Passion Planner

Physically DisabledWheelchair Ramps are just one of many ways the

ADA is improving access for physically disabled people. These ramps obviously help individuals in wheelchairs ascend heights, but are also very beneficial to individuals with injured knees, bad joints, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis (ADA Ramp Requirements).

Robson Square

References1. ADA Ramp Requirements & Modular Wheelchair Ramp Guidelines & Ramp

Specifications. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.adawheelchairramps.com/wheelchair-ramps/ada- requirements.aspx

2. Callis, L. (n.d.). Stop Making Excuses and Start Captioning Your Videos. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lydia-l-callis/stop- making-excuses-and-start-captioning-your-videos_b_7108396.html

3. Passion Planner Compact 2015 (5.5"x8.5"). (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.passionplanner.com/buy/compact2015

4. Robson Square by Arthur C. Erickson at GreatBuildings. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Robson_Square.html

5. SmartView Synergy PI 23 in video magnifier with standard control. (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://store.humanware.com/hus/smartview-synergy-pi-23-in-video-magnifier-with-standard-control.html

6. What Does the Law Say About Assistive Technology? (2013, November 28). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from https://assistivetechguide.wordpress.com/ 2013/11/29/what-does-the-law-say-about-assistive-technology/

7. What is Assistive Technology? How Is It Funded? (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.atia.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3859#What_is_AT_

8. What should Ms. Adelaide know about assistive technology and how it is used by students with disabilities? (n.d.). Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/cresource/what-should-ms-adelaide- know-about-assistive-technology-and-how-it-is-used-by-students-with- disabilities/at_02/#content