In every classroom there will be a need for adaptation. Adapting to students needs is essential in both the chemistry of the class and the outcome of the students understanding. It is important to alter aspects of either teaching styles or adapt aspects of the classroom. It is crucial to a student's development to adapt in order for the student to benefit. Students depend on their teachers to create a safe and beneficial learning environment and with that adapting may need to take place. Attached is an essay on assistive technology and universal design, which are tools that are helping open many doors for students.

Many people find themselves believing that Assistive Technology (AT) and the Universal Design for Learning offer the same assistance. These are two very different concepts that are used in education but are confused as one concept. Assistive Technology is a concept used in education to help offer students to ability to participate or do something that they were not able to do prior to the AT. According to Assistive Technology: Supporting Learners in Inclusive Classrooms “Though assistive technology can help students with disabilities participate in and complete tasks they would not otherwise be able to complete, everyone involved in the AT process needs to have the benefit of training” (Rose, Hasselbring, Stahl & Zabala, 2005). Students like Andrew are offered the ability to do something that would have been impossible before. Many people do not realize how important and life changing AT can be to a person with a disability.

 Rose, Hasselbring, Stahl, and Zabala (2005) state, “The universal design approach is to create products and/or environments that are designed, from the outset, to accommodate individuals with a wider range of abilities and disabilities than can be accommodated by traditional applications” (Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin, p. 508). The universal design does not create things to alter other things but it designs items and building so that they do not need to be altered. UDL is about designing and creating places and products for people with disabilities to use without struggling or being held back from opportunities. Building and products are created for people with disabilities to use, but are not created to adapt to different buildings and products like ATs are.

AT and UDL work together and provide similar opportunities for people who are unfortunately restricted. Both AT and UDL are extremely important and beneficial to people with disabilities. With the help from these technological tools lives are changed and new doors are opened.

In What Is Text-to-Speech Software? Balahjthy (2005) states, “ some word processors have long had the capability to read aloud the text files they produce” (p. 1). I find this extremely helpful for students that are seeing impaired. This is extremely helpful and beneficial for students with this disability. I also learned from Stansbury (2010), “Taking advantage of the iPad’s large touch screen, PUSH will develop communication software and podcasts designed for the device. Thecommunication software will target children’s communication skills, and the podcasts will target their social skills” (New assistive technology research focuses on iPad, communication skills. Para. 7). The use of the Ipad is extremely beneficial for students with different disabilities. Students are able to use the all of the different applications, which helps in so many ways!

Reference:

 Rose, D. H., Hasselbring, T. S., Stahl, S., and Zabala, J. (2005). Assistive technology and universal design for learning: Two sides of the same coin. In Edyburn, D. Higgins, K. and Boone, R. (Eds), Handbook of special education technology research and practice, 507-518. USA: Knowledge by Design, Inc. Retrieved fromhttp://cuip.uchicago.edu/~cac/nlu/tie536fall09/Assistive%20Technology%20and%20UDL_TwoSidesoftheCoin.pdf

Stansbury, M. (2011). New assistive technology research focuses on ipad, communication skills. eSchool News, Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/05/31/new-assistive-technology-research-focuses-on-ipad-communication-skills/