Week 3 lesson on Introduction to Assistive Technology

1. Introduction to Assistive
Technology: Considering the
Big Picture
IEC 4037: Technology to Support
Learning

2. Assistive Technology in the Classroom: Enhancing
the School Experiences of Students with Disabilities

3. IBM Training Manual for AT
• “For people without disabilities, technology makes things
easier; for people with disabilities, technology makes
things possible” (1991, p. 2).

4. Picture of calculator
• Convenience for quick math calculations for the general
public
• provides opportunities for persons with poor math abilities
e.g. dyscalculia
Calculator

5. Dictation Software
• Convenience for people who prefer to dictate messages;
presents opportunities for people who are unable to type

6. What Is Assistive Technology?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act (IDEA 2004) identifies two components:
• AT Device
• AT Service

7. Assistive Technology Device
• an assistive technology device refers to “any item, piece
of equipment, or product system, whether acquired
commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that
is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional
capabilities of a child with a disability” (Section 602[1]).

8. Closer Examination
• What is AT,
• how is AT made, and
• how is the AT used.

9. What
?

10. How?
Purchased as it is?
Modified?
Customised?

11. It’s Uses
Enhance a person’s functioning;
Maintain their existing functioning
Prevent deterioration
Prevent deterioration

12. “An AT device is anything that is bought or
made that helps a person with a disability
accomplish tasks that would otherwise be
difficult or impossible to perform”

13. 7 Categories
• Positioning,
• Mobility,
• Augmentative and alternative communication,
• Computer access,
• Adaptive toys and games,
• Adaptive environments
• Instructional aids.

14. Positioning
• Finding the best posture for a person to be in for a particular function
(e.g., sitting, eating, sleeping)
• Adapting specific body features for maximum efficiency and comfort
in performing daily living activities.
• Professional: physical and occupational therapists
Wedges
Feeder seat positioner Stander

15. Mobility
• Mobility refers to movement of any kind (e.g., turning pages, moving
around).
• Mobility devices ranges from high-tech motorized wheelchair to low-
tech white canes.
• Professionals: Rehabilitation engineers, physical therapists,
orientation and mobility specialists, and engineers.
Motorized wheelchair White cane
Manual page turner

16. Augmentative and Alternative Communication
(AAC) Devices
• Devices to assist in communication.
– Cards with words or pictures, tablet apps (Proloquo2go)
• Is the term non-verbal still acceptable?
• Professionals: Speech language therapist
Low-tech communication board
Proloquo2go
Pocket AAC

17. Computer Access
• Aids to allow computer access
– E.g., Beams of light to activate a function, speech-to-text, large
track ball mouse, big keys, text reader
• Professionals: Educators, rehabilitation specialists
Oversized track ball mouse Stick in mouth
Large keyboard

18. Adaptive Toys and Games
• Allow children with disabilities to be engaged in play and develop
cognitive skills
– E.g., Toys with extra big buttons, switch adapted toys
• Encourages social inclusion
• Professionals: Educators, play therapists
Switch-adapted turtle toy Musical toy with big buttons

19. Adaptive Environments
• Devices and approaches that aid a person to navigate the
environment for daily living activities (home, work, school, play,
community)
– E.g., Remote to turn lights on and of, adjustable bed
Wifi controlled light
Adjustable bed
Reacher

20. Instructional Aid
• Aids in gaining skills and information
– E.g., screen reader for a student with visual impairment,
calculator for student with dyscalculia.
Calculator
Screen reading software
Voice recorder

21. A T Continuum

22. Low Tech Devices
• Use no electronic components
• Are relatively inexpensive
• Are easy to learn to use
• Often called “gadgets”, “gizmos”, “doodads”, or
“thingamajigs”

23. Mid Tech Devices
• In between high-tech and low-tech
• Electronic in nature
• Much less expensive
• Require less training than high-tech

24. High Tech Devices
• Based on computer technology
• More complicated to operate
• Require more training
• Are considerably more expensive

25. Assistive Technology Service
• Any service that directly assists a child with a disability in
the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive
technology device.
(IDEA 2004 (Section 602[2])

26. Examining Services
• the evaluation of the needs of such child, including a functional
evaluation of the child in the child’s customary environment;
• purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition
of assistive technology devices by such child;
• selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying,
maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology
devices;

27. Examining Services (cont’d)
• coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or
services with assistive technology devices, such as those
associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and
programs;
• training or technical assistance for such child, or, where
appropriate, the family of such child; and
• training or technical assistance for professionals (including
individuals providing education and rehabilitation services),
employers, or other individuals who provide services to,
employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life
functions of such child.
•

28. “a functional evaluation of the child in the
child’s customary environment”
• In other words: “person–technology match.”

29. “individual’s customary environment”

30. “purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing
for the acquisition of assistive technology
devices”
• Looking for best fit.
• In the case of voice-to-text to teach language –
• AT cannot do the job of instruction on idea generation,
syntax, vocabulary selection, editing etc.

31. “selecting, designing, fitting, customizing,
adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or
replacing”

32. “training or technical assistance for such
child, or, where appropriate, the family of
such child”
• Is the student sufficiently trained to know how to use the
device?
• Do the parents have knowledge to support their child to
use the device?

33. “training or technical assistance for
professionals”
• Are devices well integrated in the classroom?
• Are they left on the shelves?
• Professionals need to have sufficient AT training to work
with the students they support.

34. Some Emerging Concepts
• Adaptations – “alterations that are made so that a person
who does not possess the requisite abilities needed for
task completion can accomplish a task” (Bryant &
Carpenter, ).
• Can be either
• remedial or
• compensatory

35. Historical Overview of AT
• Three periods:
• Before 1900 - the Foundation Period;
• From 1900 through 1972 - the Establishment Period; and
• From 1973 to the present - the Empowerment Period.
Some of the information, such as the invention

36. Early Examples
• Earliest incidence of acquired learning disabilities a.d. 33,
a man losing his memory for letters after a skirmish
(Wiederhold & Bryant, 1987)
• First spinal surgery reported a.d. 600. Suggests survivors
required postsurgical adaptations to function i.e. simple
and complex tools (Cook & Hussey, 2002).

37. Wheelchair and Phonograph
• Wheelchair to support soldiers in civil war made of wood.
• Resulted in patent for the basic design for the manual
wheelchair filed in 1869 which continues to be in use
today (Pelka, 1997).
• Invention of the phonograph in 1877 by Thomas Edison.
Significant benefits for those who learn through listening

38. Establishment Period: 1900–1972
• This period established the disability disciplines as specific entities,
and the policies, laws, and litigation for the disabled.
• An era of unprecedented gains for people with disabilities, their
families, and their advocates.
• Educational, scientific, and psychological advances were made in
disability.
• Society’s viewpoints concerning disabilities and the capabilities
changed.
• Devices and techniques developed to build on strengths
• Organizations serving the disabled such as Council for Exceptional
Children were formed.

39. Shifts in Approaches
• U.S. Congress passed:
• Soldier Rehabilitation Act (also known as the Smith-Sears Veterans
Rehabilitation Act) in 1918 – for veterant.
• Smith-Fess Civilian Vocational Rehabilitation Act (1920) - extending
support services to nonveterans (Bryant, 1996).
• Resulted in recognition of functional capability, using techniques and
devices to compensate for limitations – compensatory strategy.

40. Early Inventions and Introductions
• the first reading machine, the Optophone, for the blind was patented
in 1920 by Barr, Stroud, and Fournier d’Albe.
• Introduction of guide dogs in U.S. in end 1920s.
• the first folding, tubular steel wheelchair was built by Harry Jennings
in 1932.
• In 1937, Herbert A. Everest and Harry C. Jennings patented the X-
frame folding wheelchair.
• the Coyne Voice Pitch Indicator, which allowed people’s speech
patterns to appear as visual images was produced in the 1930s.

41. Early Inventions and Introductions (cont’d)
• The VODER, which produced electrically generated synthesized
speech sounds was introduced at the World Fair in 1939 by Homer
Dudley. This was the beginnings of speech synthesis (History of
Speech Synthesis, 2000).
• Introduction of the Hoover cane in 1947 was developed for blind
veterants from WW II (Sauberger, 1996). Laser cane was invented in
1966.
• Development of battery-operated hearing aids emerged during WW II
but they were bulky and impractical.

42. Key Legislation
• Social Security Act in 1935 provided general support and grants to
states for assisting the blind and children with disabilities
• The Barden-LaFollette Act, also known as the Rehabilitation Act of
1943, introduced training funds for medical, allied health, and social
workers.
• Public Law 85-905 in the 1950s, allowed funding for captioned films,
and 1958 birthedthe first captioned film (Hardman, Drew & Egan,
2007).

43. Key Legislation (cont’d)
• Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Renunced the “separate but equal” constitutional concept. Catalyst
for the African-American civil rights movement and inspiration to the
disability rights movement for AT device and use.
• First Paralympics in 1960 Rome.
• In 1965, National Commission on Architectural Barriers to
Rehabilitation of the Handicapped was established. This was the
precursor of the 1968 Architectural Barriers Act.

44. Empowerment Period: 1973 to Present
• the Empowerment Period epitomizes ability and legal authority of
persons with disabilities and their supporters to continue their
legitimate pursuit of life.

45. Key Legislation
• Rehabilitation Act (1973) was amended to include Section 504 -
illegal to discriminate persons with disabilities . Enacted in 1977
after sit-in.
• Section 504 became known as disability civil rights legislation
• Title II of Section 504 referred to auxiliary aids. which must be
provided when necessary to ensure equal opportunity to benefit from
programs and services provided by a public entity.
• The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was passed
in 1975 and implemented in 1978. All children with disabilities would
receive a free, appropriate public education.

46. Key Legislation (cont’d)
• EHA was modified in 1985 and made its first provisions for AT. The
reauthorization of the law in 1997 mandated the consideration of AT
for all students with disabilities.
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 continued the
legislative support for people with disabilities. One example curb
cuts.
• Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act
of 1988 (AKA Tech Act) and its reauthorizations of 1992 and 1998.
Congress acknowledged the potential of AT. Provide financial
assistance to states to develop programs of technology-related
assistance (RESNA, 1992).

47. Some Inventions and Introductions
• The closed-circuit television (CCTV) was introduced in 1974 for
electronic magnification of print and the first compact Braille
electronic calculator was developed.
• In 1975, an early version of the speech synthesizer was developed
and the first talking calculator with audio and visual output was
introduced.
• The Kurzweil Reading Machine, an OCR for the blind was
introduced in 1976 but it was too costly for many users.
• In 1976, first report of 8 cochlear implants implanted in seven
patients. Recipients had understood about 50% of ordinary words
without lip-reading. See Pialoux, Chouard and McLeod (1976).

48. Assistive Technology
• Is the “great equalizer” for students with disabilities
• Computers provide access to activities and opportunities
that people without disabilities take for granted
– “electronic curbcuts”