Assistive TechnologyKayla Hamilton

Assistive Technology According to the IRIS Center for Training

Enhancements, “The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA ’04) defines an assistive technology device as ’any item, piece of equipment, or product system, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a child and specifically excludes a medical device that is surgically implanted or the replacement of such device.’”

The Law IDEA 2004:

• IEP teams must consider the assistive technology needs of all children with disabilities. The school district has to provide the assistance decided

upon by the IEP team and can not use lack of availability or funding as an excuse.

• Schools are required to use assistive technology devices and services to “maximize accessibility for children with disabilities”

• Schools have to provide assistive technology training to teachers, the child, and the family.

• More info at http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/atech.index.htm

Examples of assistive technolgy follows:

Hearing Impaired Personal Amplifiers are

used for one-to-one communication. A microphone is connected by wire to a receiver won by the individual with hearing loss. The earphones absorb the sound and transmit to the ears. Personal amplifiers reduce background noise, so the sound comes directly to the ears.

More info at http://www.michdhh.org/assistive_devices/hearing_assistive_tech.html

Seeing Impaired A Close Circuit

Television (CCTV) assists the visually impaired. It magnifies and enhances anything in print. The print is placed under a video camera and magnified onto the screen above.

More info at http://www.helenkeller.org/media/newsday042612.php

Learning Disabled One kind of AT for

students that have a learning disability in math is a talking calculator. They have a built-in speech synthesizer that reads aloud each button that is pressed, as well as the answer.

More info at https://www.washington.edu/doit/working-together-computers-and-people-learning-disabilities

Physically Disabled PageFlip is a

portable automatic page turner. It has a wireless foot pedal, but can also be controlled with a push button or eye switch.

More info available at

Reference PageCatea. (2014). PageFlip. Retrieved on January 20, 2015 from http://

assistivetech.net/search/productDisplay.php?product_id=51568Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology. (2014).

Working Together: Computers and People with Learning Disabilities. Retrieved on January 19, 2015 from https://www.washington.edu/doit/working-together-computers-and-people-learning-disabilities

E-Michigan Deaf and Hard of Hearing People. (2002). Hearing Assistive Technology. Retrieved on January 19, 2015 from http://www.michdhh.org/assistive_devices/hearing_assistive_tech.html

Helen Keller Services for the Blind. (2012). Devices That Help the Visually Impaired. Retrieved on January 19, 2015 from http://www.helenkeller.org/media/newsday042612.php

The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2010). Assistive Technology: An Overview. Retrieved on January 19, 2015 from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/at/

Wrightslaw. (2010). Assistive Technology. Retrieved on January 19, 2015 from http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/atech.index.htm