Assistive technology is defined as any item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Resources include information on how to identify, remediate, or accommodate students with special needs utilizing a wide range of assistive technology devices and tools.

 

Related Resources

Accessibility Resources

This is an extensive list of resources linking to information on making computers and software more accessible to persons with disabilities.

Human-Computer Interaction

Art Education 2.0

Learn to explore ways of using technology to promote effective art education practices, encourage cultural exchanges and joint creative work, and support artistic projects, curricular activities, and professional development opportunities with Art Education 2.0. Discussion forum topics include taking art to the hearing impaired and computer art programs for middle school students.

Assistive Technology 101

Stephen Vaughn, area director of San Bernandino County California Schools, offers a straightforward overview of assistive technology for principals and other K-12 administrators. The presentation, divided by topic, addresses such issues as computer access, selection methodology, assistive listening devices, and feature matching.

TICAL

Assistive Technology in K-12 Schools

This resource provides a range of information on assistive technology, assessment and selection of tools, examples of best practice and classroom success stories, and a list of built-in access features for various operating systems.

Best Practices: Downers Grove School District 58

District 58's teamwork serves nearly 5,000 students in grades K-8 living in Downers Grove and portions of Oak Brook, Westmont, and Woodridge, IL. Collaboration across IT, AT, and other departments has helped ensure that assistive devices and software are available to special needs students, and that special education teachers have appropriate technology training. Over the years, the level of collaboration has increased as AT devices are integrated more frequently into Individual Education Plans.

Accessible Technologies for All Students

Closing the Gap: AT Resources for Children and Adults with Special Needs

Closing The Gap highlights hardware and software products appropriate for people with special needs, and explains how this technology is being implemented in education, rehabilitation, and vocational settings around the world.

ConnSENSE Bulletin

This website provides a variety of resources, articles, legal updates and conference information centered on educational and assistive technology issues.

Critical Issue: Enhancing System Change and Academic Success Through Assistive Technologies for K–12 Students With Special Needs

This article describes successful assistive technology initiatives in Wisconsin and Schaumburg School District 54, Illinois, focusing on key elements of effective systemic change to improve schools. It details the promising benefits of assistive technology, evidenced by projects currently in place in Maryland, Kansas, Texas, and Michigan. Readers will consider research-supported and evidence-based answers to questions such as: (1) What are key issues around assistive technology? (2) How can assistive technology stop enabling special needs students' dependency on others and empower them? (3) How can it help in reducing achievement gaps and increasing access? and (4) What are some ways to increase teacher quality and collegial support?

Learning Points

Described and Captioned Media Program

The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) provides services designed to support and improve the academic achievement of students who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind. These services include (1) a library of free-loan described and captioned educational media; (2) a clearinghouse of information related to educational media access, including a gateway to Internet resources related to accessibility; and (3) a center for training and evaluation of any service provider desiring to appear on the DCMP’s approved lists of description and captioning service providers. There are no user registration or service fees. The DCMP is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the National Association of the Deaf.

Described and Captioned Media Program

District Assistive Technology Program Implementation Models

Learn what North Attleborough Public Schools are doing with their district wide model incorporating Assistive Technology into the classrooms. This resource includes forms that are a result of the collaboration of ideas among various Assistive Technology sites.

Ed-Tech Online

This website that compiles all of the funding sources for educational technology provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Rather than search the multiple websites of various organizations, a visit to Ed-Tech Online will lead you to grant program summaries, strategic objectives, appropriations, contact names and telephone numbers, as well as direct links to the government agencies offering specific grants.

Bridge Multimedia

Effect of Assistive Technology on Educational Costs: Two Case Studies (PDF)

This paper looks in detail at the costs associated with the education of two children who have used assistive technologies developed at Boston College and compare them with the educational costs had they not used the assistive technologies. The authors contend that, for these two children, the costs of the technologies and special teachers hired are offset by savings from the tuition and transportation of sending them to special schools.

Boston College

Enhancing Your Instruction Through Differentiation

Enhancing Your Instruction Through Differentiation is a professional development module created by Access Center staff for technical assistance providers or district or State personnel. This module provides background information about differentiated instruction, demonstrates differentiation strategies, and addresses issues of implementation at the school and district level.

Access Center

GenYES 2.0

GenYES is a student-centered research-based solution for school-wide technology integration. Students work with teachers to design technology-infused lessons and provide tech support. The resulting collaboration provides the students with project-based learning and the teachers with on-site, sustainable professional development. GenYES includes innovative online tools that support student and teacher collaboration and a student-run help desk.

Information Technology Making a Difference in Children's Lives: An Issue Brief for Leaders for Children

This Issue Brief urges groups working on children's issues to include technology planks in their platforms and policy agendas. In addition to working for equitable access to digital tools for underserved children, the report encourages leaders of children to lobby for changes in public programs serving children to make them more effective, efficient and accessible by incorporating information and communications technology.

Interactive Map of Preparedness Resources

This tool provides an accessible, interactive directory of federal, regional, state, and local disability-related emergency management resources. The map contains information on regional branches of FEMA and ADA&IT Technical Assistance Centers, Governor's websites and state disability resource agencies, a directory of ILCs and SILCs by state, state Citizen Corps and American Red Cross Chapters, as well as links to State and local Emergency Management Agencies.

I've Got a Palm in My Pocket (PDF)

This article discusses the advantages of using palm pilots to increase student achievement in an inclusive classroom. The assistive technologies embedded in handheld computers offer benefits to students both inside and outside the classroom. 

Council for Exceptional Children

Maryland Assistive Technology Network

The Maryland Assistive Technology Network (MATN) provides assistive technology specialists information on the most up-to-date AT policies, practices, and devices. CTE offers professional development opportunities to MATN members through its semi-annual institutes with nationally acclaimed leaders in assistive technology, regional meetings, and the MATN Online Web site.

Maryland Online IEP

The Maryland Online IEP is a tool developed by Maryland State Department of Education Division of Special Education and Early Intervention Services in Partnership with Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education with funding from IDEA Part B, the U.S. Department of Education. The tool produces and maintains one complete record of IEP information for each child. The result is a high level of data integrity and accuracy from which educators and the families they serve can make effective decisions.

Math Matrix

The math matrix is intended to serve as a resource that matches technology tools with supporting literature on promising practices for the instruction of math for students with disabilities. Search for products and evidence among the six purposes of technology that support reading for students with special needs.

CITEd

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