Truly Helping Those in Need: Technology for Disabled Students

            The video, “Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams,” truly opened my eyes to the great effectiveness of technology in special education. I had no idea that students with disabilities can have tools tailored to their needs and that they can learn so much more through these methods compared to a typical classroom curriculum. I was most stunned by the device that allowed one student to communicate by the movement of his eyebrows because that was the only part of his body that he could really control. Personally speaking, I have not had much experience with those around me having a disability, so I may be severely uninformed on this topic. But I am amazed and grateful that such technology exists to help these students.

            Erdem (2017) states that “assistive technologies are used for supporting persons with special educational needs in numerous areas, such as reading, writing, communication, daily life, etc. . . the use of assistive technologies in education has positive effects” (p. 137). Different students in special education each struggle with different subjects, and often times multiple, or even all, academic subjects. Assistive technology, however, can be tailored and adapted to specific students and their unique conditions to help them find the method that most benefits their learning. For example, in my future classroom and lesson plans, I at least would want tools that allow students to express their thoughts while being comfortable and truly retaining what they learn, not pushing themselves to communicate, and this is entirely possible now.

            However, even if teachers know about these benefits, some are still reluctant to implement or obtain them for their students. According to Williams (2005), “most [teachers] expressed concern about the low quality of their equipment (e.g. computers, networks), the fact that they do not receive very satisfactory technical support, or the simple fact that they do not have the necessary hardware or software” (p. 551). Availability, training, and money play a huge part in being able to use assistive technology effectively, or at all. In order to implement assistive tools in our schools and classrooms, districts must provide adequate technology, and teachers must learn how to use them.

            Nevertheless, I honestly do not see a true downside to a student’s learning when using assistive technology. Those who are unaware of the benefits may argue with some theory that they will become too reliant on their tools, but without such things, disabled students would not even have a chance to learn properly. It is like how “normal” students would claim that paper and pencil is essential in school lessons; the materials such as those shown in the video are just as essential to students with disabilities.

Only things such as money and availability will restrict the ability that a certain school or teacher has to help such students, but I believe a smart investment by school districts would greatly pay off in the long run. No teacher will ever not have a student with a disability in their classroom at some point in their career, and every year, there are special education students attending a school, sometimes without the proper help they need. Obtaining assistive technology as shown in the video would help these students to (previously thought to be incapable of) succeeded in life, and it would complete what should be all teachers’ goal: to help all students, not just those that are “easier” to teach than others.

References

Erdem, R. (2017). Students with special educational needs and assistive technologies: A literature review. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 16(1), 128-146.

Williams, P. (2005). Using information and communication technology with special educational needs students: The views of frontline professionals. Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives, 57(6), 539-553.