This document discusses assistive technology and its uses for students with disabilities. It defines assistive technology as any device or service that helps a student meet their individualized education program. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 requires that assistive technology be provided to students with disabilities. Assistive technologies discussed include Communication Access Realtime Translation for hearing impairments, the Prodigi electronic magnifier for visual impairments, audiobooks for learning disabilities, and alternative keyboards for physical disabilities.

1. Jodie Bojonca
Universi ty of
West Alabama
29 October
2014
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

2. WHAT IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY?
“AT i s a ny d evic e o r s e r v ic e t h at h e l ps a s t u dent wi t h a
disability to meet his or her individualized education program
and to par ticipate in the general education setting to the
g re a tes t ex tent ”(I ri s C e nter).
Anything that aids in removing learning barriers for students
wi th IEPs is recognized as assistive technology .

3. WHAT LAW REQUIRES ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY?
IDEA 2004 is the law that requires Assistive Technology. The
government requires that chi ldren with disabil ities be provided
with the assistive technology needed in order for them to
receive a free and appropriate publ ic education.
IEP teams are held responsible for deciding if a chi ld needs
access to assistive technology.

4. WHY IS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY USED?
Assistive Technology is used to for a myriad of purposes:
 To aid in classroom learning
 To assist with communication
 To aid in student mobi lity
 To al low students to par ticipate in activities with their
classmates

5. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE
HEARING IMPAIRED
Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) can be
helpful to the hearing impaired. This piece of assistive
technology provides realtime captioning for students that have
hearing disabilities. Students only need a computer in order to
access the captions provided by the Remote CART AT. The sound
in the room is recorded and put into subtitles for the student to
read.

6. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE VISUALLY
IMPAIRED
The Prodigi Tablet handheld electronic magnifier is a tool that magnifies
text for the visually impaired. This tablet allows the user to enlarge
pictures as much as the user desires without losing image quality. This
device can also read text aloud.

7. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE LEARNING
DISABLED
Audiobooks may be helpful to students with learning
disabilities. I f students have trouble reading, this technology
could provide them with the oppor tunity to l isten to text read
aloud to them.

8. ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE
PHYSICALLY DISABLED
Students with limited use of their hands may benefit from an alternative
keyboard. This type of keyboard allows students with use of only one hand
to type more quickly.

9. REFERENCES
[Al ternat ive Keyboard] . Ret r ieved September 28, 2014 f rom
ht tp:/ ulva.com/Onl ine-Store/Keyboards-Point ing-
Devices/mal t ron-single-kb.htm
[Book Covers] . Ret r ieved September 28, 2014 f rom
www.audible.com
[CART] . Ret r ieved September 28, 2014 f rom ht tp://
www.capt ionf i rst .com/CART
The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (2012) . Assist ive
Technology: An Overview. Ret r ieved on October 28,2014 f rom
ht tp://i ris.peabody.vanderbi l t .edu/module/at/
Mi t t ler, J. (2007) . Assist ive technology and IDEA: Regulat ions. In C.
Warger (Ed. ) , Technology integrat ion: Providing access to the
cur riculum for students wi th disabi l i t ies. Ar l ington, VA:
Technology and Media Division (TAM)
[Prodigi ] . Ret r ieved September 28, 2014 f rom ht tp://
store.humanware.com/hus/prodigi - tablet .html