Overview of AT:

History of AT legislation:
1975 - Pl 94-142 Education of All Handicapped Children Act
1978 - Rehabilitation Act amendments of 1978
1986 - PL 99-457 (Part H) Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments
1986 - PL 99-506 Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 19986
1988 - PL 100-360 Medicaid Amendments for Special Education Services
1988 - PL 100-407 Technology Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act
1989 - PL 101-238 Medicaid amendments for Special Education Services
1990 PL 101-336 American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
1990 - PL 101-476 Individuals with Disabilitied Education Act (IDEA)
1994 - Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act
2004 - Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
         Unofficial Regs for IDEA 2004 (Word Doc)
2006 - NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Assessibility Standard available at CAST.org http://nimas.cast.org/index.html
           Daisy Talking Books http://www.daisy.org/publications/guidelines/sg-daisy3/part1.htm#auto_0000

Assistive technologies will always have a role in the education of learners with disabilities. Children with physical or language disabilities need properly designed wheelchairs, adaptive switches to control devices, or speech synthesizers. Universal design for learning will not eliminate the need for personal assistive devices. However, exclusive emphasis on assistive technologies places the burden of adaptation on the learner, not the curriculum. The idea that students must procure or "be prescribed" special individual tools whenever they cannot use standard curriculum undermines learning for everyone. Exclusively print-based tools and methods, uncaptioned videos and software, undescribed images and posters, create barriers for some learners and limit options for everyone.

Assistive Technology Boogie (will open in a new window)

What do Americans with disabilities think about the benefits and needs for assistive technology? Survey results

LD in Depth: Assistive Technology http://www.ldonline.org/article/c679/

What are the the three main areas that Assistive Technology covers?

Area # 1:

An item, equipment, product system, or service used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of people with disabilities. Examples

• Item - mouth stick, head pointer, etc.
• Equipment - computer, portable keyboard, grabber, etc.
• Product system - two or more pieces of equipment working together for a specific purpose or function.
• Any service that directly assists a student with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device. Includes: Functional evaluation in the child’s customary environment; purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices

Area #2:

• Human operator who has a disability
• Human performance issues are critical

Area #3:

Environmental considerations - Context in which the individual will need support. This includes

• Setting (home, work, community, school)Social (peers, strangers)Cultural framework of the individual
• Physical framework of the environment

All three areas MUST be considered for Assistive Technology interventions to be effective