The Importance of Knowing Assistive Technology

As I Prepare to Be an Inclusive Teacher

            Assistive technologies enable people with disabilities to accomplish everyday tasks with ease, helps them gain independence and enhance their quality of life.  Everything from a wheelchair to a Braille printer that captured images from an electronic white board can be included in the realm of assistive technologies.  As a future highly qualified inclusive teacher, I would like to ensure all my students “get it” and I have reached all of my diverse learners regardless of their physical, mental, or developmental level, handicap and challenges.  My wonderful education in education, here at Georgian, as well as assistive technologies, will help me get there.

            Given the task of creating a brochure using Microsoft Publisher software to tell teachers about the assistive technologies available for the visually impaired, I have created the attached brochure.  Along with my compatriot, Kay, I researched the multitude of assistive technologies available to aide the visually impaired.  Please click the tab below to see the results of my labor and print out my brochure. 

            I found out a lot about visual impairments and was astounded at the level of assistive technologies and the multitude of resources available to the visually impaired.  There are hand held as well as standing video magnifiers; there are text and screen readers, talking e-books, word processors, white boards, text to Braille, Braille to text, converters, touch screens, tactile resources and the list goes on.  My specific problem is in the inability to leave out anything that may be helpful to a future teacher with a visually impaired student.  I found out this stuff and want you to know it exists…at the very least, and at least where to go to check out more detailed information on a potentially useful assistive technology for you.

            As a side note, I was substitute teaching at a local Howell, <st1:State w:st="on">NJ</st1:State> school wherein one of the devices I had researched was in use on a regular basis.  It was similar to the SmartView Graduate video magnification device from my brochure.  As I had just finished this brochure, I actually used it throughout the day.  I would put the textbook under the magnifier and then the class would read the story, correct last night’s math homework, review the day’s class work, etc. as it was displayed on the board.  It helped that you had the problems on the board and didn’t have to re-write them, and there was room on the side of the board to elaborate.  The device aided the whole class to keep up, stay focused, and not get distracted or “lost” throughout the day.  I spoke with the teacher next door while my children were at Music class and she said that they use these devices every day,  they enable them to capture and save the information onto their computer, and that they all use them because they “help all the children”, which is, after all, the goal of all highly qualified inclusive teachers.