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Assistive Technology
By: Katelyn Dunagan
Assistive Technology
 What is Assistive Technology?
 Assistive Technology (adaptive technology) as stated by the
United States Assistive Technology Act of 1998, refers to any
"product, device, or equipment, whether acquired commercially,
modified or customized, that is used to maintain, increase, or
improve the functional capabilities of individuals with
disabilities.”
 Assistive Technology devices can range from wheelchairs and
grab and reach devices to enlarged keyboards, braille books
and sound magnification tools.
 Assistive Technology encompasses a wide range of learning
disabilities and physical handicaps.
Assistive Technology Law
 What does the law say in regards to assistive technology?

The Family Center of Technology and Disability states:
“Assistive Technology Act of 1998
Public Law 105-394 [29 USC 2201]
 The Assistive Technology Act, also known as the “Tech Act” provides funds to states
to support three types of programs: the establishment of assistive technology (AT)
demonstration centers, information centers, equipment loan facilities, referral
services, and other consumer-oriented programs;

protection and advocacy services to help people with disabilities and their families,
as they attempt to access the services for which they are eligible;

Federal/state programs to provide low interest loans and other alternative financing
options to help people with disabilities purchase needed assistive technology.”
Types of Assistive Technology
 There are many different types of assistive technology
devices for all types of learning disabilities and physical
disabilities.
 Some of the most commonly used devices are to aid
the hearing impaired, visually impaired, learning
disabilities, and physical handicaps.
Hearing
Impaired
•
-One device used to assist with hearing
impairment is a Bionic Ear. The teacher has a
microphone attached to him/her and the
student has the sound amplifier and
headphones. This allows the student to hear
the teacher clearly without disruptions.
Kid’s Health states that “Hearing impairment occurs when
there's a problem with or damage to one or more parts of the
ear.”
•
“The degree of hearing impairment can vary widely from
person to person. Some people have partial hearing loss,
meaning that the ear can pick up some sounds; others have
complete hearing loss, meaning that the ear cannot hear at all
(people with complete hearing loss are considered deaf). In
some types of hearing loss, a person can have much more
trouble when there is background noise. One or both ears may
be affected, and the impairment may be worse in one ear than
in the other.”
•
Hearing impairment can be either congenital (born with) or
acquired during childhood, adolescents or adulthood.
•
“National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication
Disorders states that about 28 million Americans are deaf or
hearing impaired. That's about 1 out of every 10 people.
Another 30 million are exposed to hazardous noise levels on a
regular basis. Hearing loss is also the most common birth
anomaly.”
Seeing
Impaired
•Kid’s Health states that Visual Impairment is
“any kind of vision loss, whether it's someone
who cannot see at all or someone who has
partial vision loss.
•Some people are completely blind, but many
others have what's called legal blindness.
They haven't lost their sight completely but
have lost enough vision that they'd have to
stand 20 feet from an object to see it as well
as someone with perfect vision could from 200
feet away.”
•Most babies that have blindness are born
with congenital blindness. Blindness during
childhood and adolescents is rare, with the
exception of injury.
- The desktop electronic magnifier is one of many
assistive technology tools used to aid the visually
impaired. Other options are braille books or audio
books.
Learning
Disabled
• “Assistive Technology for kids with a
Learning disability (LD) is defined as
any device, piece of equipment or
system that helps bypass, work
around or compensate for an
individual's specific learning deficits.”
• Listening, Math, Organization and
memory, Reading and Writing are
some common areas that children
with LD struggle with and require
assistive technology tools.
Word Prediction software is a very useful assistive
technology tool for kids with writing struggles and
dyslexia.
Physical Handicaps
•
Students suffering from physical
handicaps can suffer from
decreased fine motor skills
(difficulty writing and typing),
mobility,(limited range of motion
in limbs) and a variety of other
physical issues that can limit
their performance.
A computer joystick is an assistive
technology tool that serves as an
alternative form of a mouse. It is used
for those who are unable to
physically operate a mouse.
References

Assistive Technology Act of 1998 | Section508.gov. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.section508.gov/assistive-technology-act-1998

FCTD | Assistive Technology Laws. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.fctd.info/resources/techlaws.php

Hearing Impairment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/hearing_impairment.html#

Visual Impairment. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/visual_impairment.html#

View Desktop Macular Degeneration Products & Low Vision Aids. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.enhancedvision.com/low-vision-product-types/desktop-assistive-technology-for-thevisually-impaired.html

Assistive Technology in Education/Physically Handicapped. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2014,
from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Physically_Handicapped

JoyStick-C : Spectronics - Inclusive Learning Technologies. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.spectronicsinoz.com/product/joystick-c