Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Modern classrooms are characterized by learners with diverse learning capabilities. There is no specific method of instruction which can gather for all the learners. Teachers are confronted with a challenge of teaching students with different disabilities. Assistive technology has made it possible for educators to gather for learners with various disabilities.

Assistive technology is defined as any item, software or equipment that has been customized to enhance the functional capability of learners with disabilities (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 5). Various technological equipments have been designed to provide support to learners with challenges.

For example, learners with visual impairments can use text-to-speech programs. Text-to-speech programs do have the capability of scanning and reading printed text to create digitized speech (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 74). These programs promote independence because they can be used to download electronic learning resources. A teacher may not be required to read text for learners with visual impairments.

For learners with partial visual impairment, text enlargement programs have been designed. The common characteristic of these assistive technology items is that they can be integrated with computers.

This makes it easy to manipulate information to suit particular learners’ needs. Technology creates an opportunity for teachers to customize education especially with the use of digital texts to meet individual needs (Hall, Meyer, & Rose, 2012 P.11).

Considering a case where a teacher is dealing with blind learners and he or she is teaching mathematics, an audible graphing calculator for example will be of great use. An audible graphing calculator is a program designed for visual impairments (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 81). It has both visual and verbal capabilities. Before using such programs, the teacher should provide computers to the learners.

If learners are not knowledgeable about using such programs, pre-teaching will be necessary. Preparing learners to learn is one strategy that can be used by teachers to activate learners’ prior knowledge (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 82). Learners with visual impairments ought to be devoted more time. However this does not mean that the learner should be separated from others.

Distance learning is a type of learning that occurs when the instructor and learner are at different geographical locations. The current shift towards modern technology has made distance learning possible.

Assistive technology devices can be used in distance learning. One of the benefits of distance learning is that learning can take place irrespective of geographical location of the learner as long as he or she can have full access to interactive technology devices (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 174).

Distance learning can counteract the problem of disability that can lead to the learner failing to attend classroom physically. However just like any other instructional activity, a lot of challenges accompany distance education. For example, considering a case where the learner is having fine motor skills disability, alternative input devices should be incorporated (Beard, Carpenter & Johnston, 2011 P. 177).

Failure to include these alternative devices in the assistive technology materials will lead unsuccessful instruction. It is for this case that teachers should design their lessons with the help of universal design for learning (UDL) principled to make learning goals attainable.

Learners with physical disabilities can be gathered for with the help of assistive technology devices such as adaptive keyboard and screen reading software for learners with visual impairments. Learners with autism disorder can be assisted to organize their ideas by use of concept maps. Before using such programs, pre-teaching must be conducted to familiarize the learner with it.

Other assistive technology devices that can be helpful to distance learners include recorded video or audio disks, teleconferencing devices and closed caption monitor. The current distance learning programs have been modified to include assistive technology devices.

According to (Moore, 2007), research has shown that most distance learning programs are conducted through learning management systems for example WebCT and blackboard. These interfaces have made it possible for disabled learners to access information.

References

Beard, L. A., Carpenter, L. B. & Johnston, L. B. (2011). Assistive Technology: Access for All Students (2 nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Hall, E. T., Meyer, A. & Rose, H. (2012). Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom: What works for Special Needs Learners? New York: Guilford Press.

Moore, M. G. (2007). Handbook of Distance Education. New York: Routledge.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2019, June 19). Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-disabilities-and-assistive-technology/

Work Cited

"Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology." IvyPanda, 19 June 2019, ivypanda.com/essays/physical-disabilities-and-assistive-technology/.

References

IvyPanda. (2019) 'Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology'. 19 June.

References

IvyPanda. 2019. "Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology." June 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-disabilities-and-assistive-technology/.

1. IvyPanda. "Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology." June 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-disabilities-and-assistive-technology/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Physical Disabilities and Assistive Technology." June 19, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/physical-disabilities-and-assistive-technology/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1