Assistive Technology

My eyes have been opened this week to assistive technology (AT) and the abundance of resources that are available to support educators and families of children with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 defines assistive technology device as "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." I have browsed through several online AT training tutorials, listened to a webinar about NIMAS and the NIMAC library, visited the Johns Hopkins University Center for Tech in Education (CTE), and found three more online sources that I thought provided helpful information. I am going to share the Johns Hopkins site with the special education teachers on my campus. I think it would be useful to them since the site can assist with developing IEP's. It also addresses the legal requirements behind NCLB and IDEA.

One of the additional resources I found is the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. The website included a table of assistive technology equipment. The table is broken down into five categories: AT for vision, AT for communication, AT for access, AT for hearing, and AT for learning and studying. While the table is not prescriptive or inclusive, it does list a wide range of AT equipment available.

Another online website I located is AbleData. It is a project funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabiliation Research of the U.S. Department of Education. Their most significant resource is the AbleData database of assitive technology, which provides information on more than 36,000 assistive products! The site does not sell the products, but it does provide a detailed description of the product's functions and features, price information, and contact information for the manufacturer or distributor.

I also went back to Education World this week after visiting the site a couple of weeks ago for lesson planning assistance. I really like this website because it is teacher-friendly and includes information on a diverse range of topics. As far as assistive technology, this site contains articles and links to online resources as well.