Assistive Technology

I am a big believer in Universal Design for Learning. According to the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST, 2003), “Barriers to learning are not, in fact, inherent in the capabilities of learners, but instead arise in learners’ interactions with inflexible educational goals, materials, methods, and assessments.” I believe that whole-heartedly. As educators, our job is to serve ALL students to allow them to reach their full potential, and assistive technology may be required to do that job. Tight budgets are no excuse for failing to serve a segment of the population.

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If we agree that technology should be integrated as a tool to promote and enhance student learning as a part of the regular curriculum, then it is our moral imperative to ensure that all students have access to technology tools that work for them. There is also a legal imperative. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 1990) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require schools to provide services and educational opportunities for students with disabilities. While limited funding is routinely an issue in education, the way we choose to allocate resources cannot exclude certain segments of the population. If assistive or adaptive technology is required for a student to access the curriculum, then our priority must be providing the tool that allows that access.

The Common Core State Standards require the use of technology for research, consumption of content, and production of content. For some students, traditional technology simply doesn’t work. Whether it’s because of visual acuity issues that make screens impossible to read, auditory issues that make videos impossible to hear, or physical issues that make a standard keyboard impossible to manipulate, students are not able to access those particular standards using traditional technology tools. Students have the right to have modifications that allow them to participate meaningfully in the standards, which means educators need to be aware of what modifications are available, and which is most appropriate in what situations. In California, a state budget line item provides reimbursement for uncommon assistive technology needs in K-14 education, such as screen readers, braille printers, and adaptive keyboards. (California Education Code). Awareness of the process and requirements for such a program can help educators support their students while limiting the fiscal impact on the budget as a whole.

• CAST (2003). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. ASCD: Alexandria, VA. 
• Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 94-142, 104 Stat. 1142 
• Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, Pub. L. No. 93-112, 87 Stat. 394.29 U.S.C. § 701 
• California Education Code: Low incidence funding, EC § 56345(b)(5)