This article is all about how disabled students are benefitting from assistive technology. It says that assistive technology is defined by any item, piece of equipment, or system of products that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. I think that in today's world, this type of technology is incredibly important. Because our world is moving and evolving at such a rapid pace, people with disabilities need extra help to help them keep up. With assistive technology, this is happening with ease.
Some examples of assistive technology are Speech Recognition Systems (students control their computer simply by speaking to it), Personal Reading Machines (students scan a printed page and it automatically reads it aloud), Talking Calculators (recites numbers, symbols, or functions as keys are pressed), and Video Description (written text on the bottom of the screen for the hearing impaired or audible explanations of the video for the blind).
According to this article, well over 50% of schools are beginning to use some of these types of technology. Also, many schools say they don't have enough computers in order to support all the needs of their disabled students. I believe that this will start to improve, as technology is becoming more and more supported and necessary in todays world. And while disabled students are definitely reaping the benefits of newfound technology, kids everywhere are able to use these things and gain from them as well.
Works Cited:
Author Unknown. (2005). The online school. Assistive technology helps all kids learn. Retrieved March 23, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech220.shtml.
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