002+Assistive+Technology

** Pivotal Legislation ** Prior to 1990, students with disabilities were at a huge disadvantage. The true potential of students with disabilities went unnoticed because of their physical or learning challenges. It was previously assumed that these limitations meant that students that struggled daily with these circumstances could not be academically successful. However, these misconceptions were dispelled with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA). Although Public Law 94-142 guaranteed that people with disabilities would receive a select amount of services and aid, IDEA expounded on these services by requiring that schools consider the individual needs of each child. These needs should regularly and carefully be assessed during the drafting of every child�s Individualized Plan (IEP). Furthermore, IDEA dictated that schools must provide any assistive or adaptive devices that disabled students may need to function to the best of their ability. According to the definition found in the Assistive Technology Act, assistive technology is defined as products devices and equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified or customized, that is used to maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. Moreover, IDEA mandates that when applicable, educational personnel must provide adequate instruction that will allow students to use the assistive technology correctly and efficiently. Another influencial piece of legislation was the Assistive Technology Act; it is sometimes referred to as the Tech Act. The original act was passed by Congress and signed by President George H.W. Bush as the Technology-Related Assistance Act of 1988. The Act has been reauthorized four times, most recently in 2010. The Assistive Technology Act was implemented to facilitate learning and understanding in regards to assistive technology. Furthermore, the passage of this act was intended to make the acquisition of these devices and services easier for students with challenges. The primary goal of this act is to emphasize the fact that these technologies are necessary to enhance the quality of life of persons with disabilities and increase the likelihood that they will live independent, productive and fulfilling personal and professional lives.

** Assistive Technology for the Hearing Impaired ** The term hearing impaired refers to those people that are hard of hearing or are completely unable to hear. As previously stated, the type of assistive technologies used depends upon the nature of the disability and specific needs of the student. Deaf and hearing impaired students typically require the use of Hearing Assistive Technology Systems (HATS). These systems make it significantly easier for the hearing impaired to hear without straining. It is not necessary for the hearing impaired person to use cochlear Implants. One system in particular is called the One to One Communicator. This device is designed specifically for those that are hard of hearing. The impaired individual gives the person that he or she wishes to hear, a microphone that has been linked to a hearing aid or headset and that person speaks normally into the microphone. The sound being transmitted from the microphone is amplified and transferred directly to the impaired individual�s hearing aid or headset. Perhaps the most commonly recognized assistive technologies for the hearing impaired are the hearing aid and the Cochlear Implant. Deaf individuals use these devices on a daily basis to help them communicate with family, friends and colleagues. A hearing aid is a small electro acoustic device which enables a deaf individual to hear. They can be worn in or behind the ear. These devices help those that suffer from hearing loss due to the damage of the tiny sensory cells located in the inner ear. This kind of hearing loss is referred to as Sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss can be caused by a multitude of factors such as, increased age, disease, continuous exposure to loud noises and certain medications. Hearing aids provide assistance by amplifying the sounds transmitted through the device. Unlike hearing aids, cochlear implants are surgically implanted devices. These devices include internal and external components. The internal component is imbedded into the temporal bone of the ear. The external component consists of a speech processor, microphone and an antenna. The purpose of the external device is to receive various sounds, interpret and convert them into electrical signals which are then transmitted to the internal component.

** Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired **

The visually impaired are those people that are unable to distinguish between light and dark, or are completely blind. People that are considered to be legally blind or severely impaired have a best corrected vision of at least 20/200 in each eye and a maximum field vision of 20 degrees. Braille is arguably the most helpful assistive tool available to blind. Braille allows blind people to read. Braille is a successive group of elevated dots on a page. The impaired individual uses his or her fingers to feel the dots on the page to determine the words being expressed. There are various grades of Braille. A grade 1 Braille would be one in which every word is written out. This type of Braille is rarely seen. Braille can also be used to label personal or kitchen items. It would be best to use grade 1 for tasks such as this. Other Assistive Technologies that may be useful to the blind include books on tape, tape recorders, canes and sports balls with beepers inserted inside of them so that the visually impaired individual will not lose track of the ball.

** Assistive Technology for the Mobility Impaired **

Mobility Impaired people are defined as those people that suffer from a physiological deficit or defect which adversely affects their ability to move without the assistance of crutches, a wheelchair, or other external support. A plethora of conditions are included under the umbrella term �mobility impairment.� Cerebral Palsy is one such condition. CP is a broad term used to describe a multitude of chronic non-progressive conditions that typically manifest themselves physically. Cerebral Palsy is not contagious, nor is it curable. It is the result of brain damage sustained while in the uterus. People with CP can have limited or no range of motion. Individuals with Cerebral Palsy may have difficulty or be unable to walk, talk or move. At times they may experience a disruption in mobility and gait, muscle tightness and spasms. People with Cerebral Palsy may also suffer from visual and/or hearing impairments. There are many assistive technologies available to help those with Cerebral Palsy be more independent. For example, there are motorized or electrical wheelchairs. Motorized wheelchairs are easiest for people with Cerebral Palsy to operate because they do not have wrap their fingers around the wheels to propel themselves forward as they did with the old fashioned wheelchairs. This can be a difficult task for some people with Cerebral Palsy because they do not have the dexterity that would be required. Voice recognition software would also decrease the stress of performing tasks that require dexterity such as typing and writing. Dragon Naturally Speaking is a voice recognition software that allows people that struggle with fine motor tasks to train a computer to recognize their voice. As they speak their words appear on the computer monitor. However, the software will not work as effectively if the user has a cold and does not sound normal.

=Assistive technology for the speaking impaired: = Assistive technology is very helpful for people who cannot verbally communicate. An example of this impairment are those with quadriplegia. People with quadriplegia have trouble communicating because of weak or paralyzed vocal cords so other means of communication must be established in order to convey possible needs, wants, and ect. (Seehorn 2010) A very common assistive technology uses a control board. Examples of this technology include the dynamyte, text-to-vioce recognition software, and texting. The dynamyte is a device that uses picture symbols, when pressed in a specific sequence, to admit a pre-programmed message(University of Buffalo 2005). Text-to-voice recognition software can be used with computers or other devices in order for the individual to type the desired message and to have it communicated verbally(Steele-Carlin 2001). Finally, texting is a great tool to communicate without the need to speak. Texting is one of the most common forms of communication and doesn't require verbal speech. Some individuals suffer from both mobility and voice impairment in which case such devices as head wands and mouth sticks allows the individual to point using control of the head to point (Seehorn 2010). These devices are important and vial pieces of equipment for those with this impairment.

** Conclusion **

The advancement of technology has definitely changed the way that society views those that are disabled. If it were not for these advances, society would still be ignorant of their many capabilities. Furthermore, they allowed those with challenges to showcase their true abilities while adding to the quality of their lives by improving upon their relationships with family, friends and colleagues.

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References

[] Pivotal Legislation Information Lance, D. (1999, August 17). //the "idea" of assistive technology//. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/assistive_technology/24315

[] Pivotal Legislation Gerard, D. (2001, December 17). //What is assistive technology//. Retrieved from http://www.rehabtool.com/forum/discussions/1.html-

[] Pivotal Legislation //Assistive technology act//. (2009, December). Retrieved from http://www.nichcy.org/Laws/Other/Pages/AssistiveTechnologyAct.aspx

[] hearing impaired definition //Hearing impaired//. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.nchearingloss.org/hi.htm

[] //One-to-one communicators//. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/One-to-One-Communicators/

Hearing impaired technology first paragraph

[-]Hearing aid- how it works //Hearing aids//. (2010, June 07). Retrieved from http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/hearingaid.html#hearingaid_02

[] Cochlear implant information //Discovery health: cochlear implant//. (2011). Retrieved from http://healthguide.howstuffworks.com/cochlear-implant-dictionary.htm

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] Information on Braille <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">//What is braille?//. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.afb.org/section.asp?SectionID=6&TopicID=199

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] � Definition for mobility impairment <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">//Chapter 814b mobility impaired persons//. (2005, January 01). Retrieved from http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/pub/Chap814b.htm#Sec46a-42.htm

<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[] - CP information <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">//What is cerebral palsy?//. (2011, January 12). Retrieved from http://www.about-cerebral-palsy.org/definition/index.html

Technology for speaking impaired references:

Steele-Carlin, Sherril. (2001, June 01). //Assistive devices help challenged kids get the most from learning//. Retrieved from<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 10px;">[]

<span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 20px; padding: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: -20px; width: 350px; word-wrap: break-word;">Seehorn, Ashley. (2010, June 25). //Assistive technology for quadriplegics//. Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/about_6656954_assistive-technology-quadriplegics.html <span style="color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'times new roman',times,serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; letter-spacing: 2px; margin-left: 20px; padding: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: -20px; width: 350px; word-wrap: break-word;">University of Buffalo,. (2005). //Basic technologies//. Retrieved from http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Foundation/intro/introbasic.php media type="custom" key="9204170"media type="custom" key="9061776"media type="custom" key="8972908" India High Jaclyn Boor

NOTES:

Jaclyn Boor __ [] __

Alternate keyboards and pointing systems that change how a software program is used. The photo shows an IntelliKeys keyboard (IntelliTools, Inc.) with a modified overlay which makes learning more direct for a student with a disability. S/he simply needs to press a picture key to see the word spelled on the screen or to spell it out with larger letter keys. ||
 * ** Alternate keyboards **

Page Turner: By using this device to hold a book for a student, s/he is then freed to focus on reading & comprehending the material in the book. A page turns when the students presses a switch. ||
 * || ** Page Turner **

Adaptive Technologies include customized systems that help individual students move about, communicate in, and control their environments. They are designed specifically for persons with disabilities; devices which would seldom be used by non-disabled persons. Examples include augmentative communication devices, powered wheel chairs and environmental control systems. These assistive technologies are not used exclusively for education purposes, but are used in all of the child's environments. ** Examples: ** ||
 * #** Adaptive Technologies **

This device, available from local telephone companies, provides a way for persons with deafness to communicate via the phone. The individual types to send a message and then reads the responses in order to engage in a conversation. A relay service is available if both parties do not have a TTY. ||
 * || ** TTY ** (teletypewriter)

Portable communication devices, such as the DynaMyte, provide a way for students with communicative disabilities to initiate, respond and converse. As a student selects a sequence of picture symbols, the computer "speaks" the pre-programmed message. ||  || __ [] __
 * ** DynaMyte ** (__ [|DynaVox Systems, LLC.] __)

Assistive devices include any device that disabled children (or adults) might use to help them learn and function more effectively. By current estimates, more than 4,000 assistive technologies have been designed for students and teachers. Those devices include everything from wheelchairs to a wide assortment of high-tech tools, including � hearing aids and amplification devices that enable hearing-impaired students to hear what's going on in the classroom; � glare-reduction screens, screen magnifiers, and Braille note-taking devices that enable visually impaired students to participate more fully; � voice-recognition software that turns the spoken word into type on a computer screen so students unable to move their limbs can take part; and � technologies that enable severely disabled students to control their computers simply by following letters and commands on the computer screen with their eyes. Many companies today are turning their research and development to assistive technologies. Most programs and devices that are developed are designed to work on personal computers in a Microsoft Windows environment

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** Technology -- an Equalizer ** Technology can be a great equalizer for individuals with disabilities that might prevent full participation in school, work, and the community. This is most evident in the case of individuals with mobility, hearing, or vision impairments, but is also true for individuals with limitations in cognition and perception. With technology, an individual physically unable to speak can communicate with spoken language. Using a portable voice synthesizer, a student can ask and respond to questions in the "regular" classroom, overcoming a physical obstacle that may have forced placement in a special segregated classroom or required a full-time instructional aide or interpreter to provide "a voice." Improvements in sensor controls enable subtle motor movements to control mobility devices, such as electric wheelchairs, providing independent movement through the school and community. Text and graphics enhancement software can enlarge sections of a monitor enough to be seen by persons with vision impairments. Text can be read electronically by a digitized voice synthesizer for a person who is blind. For persons with hearing impairments, amplification devices can filter extraneous noise from the background or pick up an FM signal from a microphone on a teacher's lapel. Word processing, editing, spellchecking, and grammatical tools commonly found in high-end software facilitate the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in regular classrooms by allowing them to keep up with much of the work. Not inconsequentially, the children often feel better about themselves as active learners. Technology is providing more powerful and efficient tools to teachers who work with children with disabilities. These tools enable teachers to offer new and more effective means of learning while individualizing instruction to the broad range of student learning needs. Educators are using computers as tools to deliver and facilitate learning beyond drill and practice, to provide environments that accommodate learning, and to ensure enhanced and equitable learning environments to all students. Access to the World Wide Web, email, listservs, and other electronic learning environments is common in many classrooms. In these environments, students around the world can interact in real time via onscreen messaging or video and audio transmissions. In most of these learning situations, a disability makes no difference at all.

Access and Adaptive Technologies:

Access and adaptive technologies are used everyday to provide an easier way for those with disabilities to go throughout the day. Access technologies are very useful in the classroom because they compensate for the limitations these students experience. Examples include the alternate keyboard, and the page turner.The alternate keyboards are keyboards with a picture key that once pressed spells the word on the screen or spells out the word with a larger text size. The page turner is a great device that allows the student to focus on the reading and content of the book rather than worrying about the task of turning the page. The student simply presses a button and the page turns with ease. In addition to the access technologies in the classroom adaptive technologies are very helpful outside of the room. These devices include the teletypewriter, dynaMyte, and voice recognition software. The teletypewriter is a phone that communicates through text in order for persons with deafness to communicate. A relay service is also available with these devices. The dynamyte allows for communication for those who cannot speak. The device is used by pressing a sequence of picture symbols which then releases or "speaks" a pre-programmed message. Finally, there is voice recognition software which turns the spoken word into type.This helps those that cannot move their limbs. Thyese technologies are very important and crucial to those with disabilities as they provide a chance to expand their capabilities.

Technology as an equalizer:

Technology is a step towards equalization for many with disabilities. Technology has expanded the capabilities of those who are disabled in the classroom tremendously. Before these technological advances those with disabilities were often placed in a segregated class while today many of those with disabilities such as mobility, hearing, and visually impairment are now in regular classes. In addition, teachers are also more adapt and knowledgable about how to individualize instruction to a broad range of students. The ability to have disabled students study and succeed in a regular classroom is the main goal of "appropriate" education and technology has gotten us just that much closer to achieving a mainstream educational system.

References: Assistive Technology:

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The term "assistive technology service" means "any service that assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. The term includes: (a) the evaluation of the needs of a child with a disability, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment; (b) purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for acquisition of assistive technology devices by children with disabilities; (c) selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, retaining, repairing, or replacing of assistive technology devices; (d) coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services the assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs; (e) training or technical assistance for a child with a disability, or if appropriate, that child's family; and (f) training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education or rehabilitation service), employers, or to other individuals who provide services to employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of children with disabilities."
 * Notes for India's References(exerpts from sources) **

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Technology for the Hearing Impaired
Sometimes in a restaurant, nursing home situation, or riding in a car, you want to be able to easily hear just one person. Or perhaps you are delivering a lecture or running a meeting and a person in the audience has a question. You can give the person a microphone to speak into. The sound is amplified and delivered directly into your hearing aid (or headset if you don�t have a hearing aid), and you can adjust the volume to your comfort level. When using the one-to-one communicator, the speaker does not have to shout, private conversations can remain private, and in a car your eyes can remain on the road!

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**What is Braille?**
 Braille is a series of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or whose eyesight is not sufficient for reading printed material. Teachers, parents, and others who are not visually impaired ordinarily read braille with their eyes. Braille is not a language. Rather, it is a code by which languages such as English or Spanish may be written and read.

What Does Braille Look Like?
Braille symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full braille cell consists of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three dots. The dot positions are identified by numbers from one through six. Sixty-four combinations are possible using one or more of these six dots. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number, punctuation mark, or even a whole word. The enclosed braille alphabet and numbers card illustrates what a cell looks like and how each dot is numbered.

How Was Braille Invented?
Louis Braille was born in Coupvray, France, on January 4, 1809. He attended the National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, France, as a student. While attending the <iframe src= "http://edu.glogster.com/glog.php?glog_id=19572578&scale=100" width="960" height="1300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" style="overflow: hidden;">, Braille yearned for more books to read. He experimented with ways to make an alphabet that was easy to read with the fingertips. The writing system he invented, at age fifteen, evolved from the tactile "Ecriture Nocturne" (night writing) code invented by Charles Barbier for sending military messages that could be read on the battlefield at night, without light.

How Is Braille Written?
When every letter of every word is expressed in braille, it is referred to as Grade 1 braille. Very few books or other reading material are transcribed in Grade 1 braille. However, many newly blinded adults find this useful for labeling personal or kitchen items. The system used for reproducing most textbooks and publications is known as Grade 2 braille. In this system cells are used individually or in combination with others to form a variety of contractions or whole words. For example, in Grade 1 braille the phrase //you like him// requires twelve cell spaces. It would look like this: media type="custom" key="9369832" code format="regFont" you like him code

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