Assistive Technology

Abstract

Considering the vicious cycle of exclusion that students with special needs are often trapped in— lacking the means for equal participation in education, society, and mainstream development programs—assistive technology has proven to have great potential in providing to all learners the ability to access the general education curriculum. Approaches in the use of assistive technology basically focus on facilitating individuals in their interaction with their environment. Assistive technology is a generic term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices that might be used to compensate for lack of certain abilities, in order to participate in the activities of daily life. With assistive technology individuals have the option of approaching and completing their tasks with greater ease and independence, since it helps in removing functional barriers that inhibit their individual performance. With the emergence of the social model of disability, it is increasingly being argued that inaccessible environments have been the greatest barrier to the inclusion of students with special needs. Research on the successful implementation of inclusive education in developing countries identifies the ineffective and inefficient use of assistive technologies, citing this as the major obstacle hindering inclusion. Since it has been widely acknowledged, that the success and applicability of an assistive device is governed by its acceptance and actual usage by its users considering their perception, expectations, satisfaction, and their level of access and success with the technology when interacting with their environment; approaches in the use of technology therefore have to be needs-based; inexpensive to produce, purchase, and maintain; and be easy to use and effective in addressing an identified need. This can be ensured by the direct involvement of potential users at each stage of the planning and implementation process to help overcome barriers that inhibit the efficient use and applicability of assistive technology devices in different contexts. Moreover, although assistive technology is seen to have a major role in remediating and compensating the performance deficits experienced by students with special needs, it should not be viewed merely within a rehabilitative or remediative context, but as a tool for accessing curriculum and exploring and drawing out means to help learners achieve positive outcomes. Researches on the use of assistive technology point toward the distinct need to identify ways to encourage the development of tools and strategies for effective technology integration, and to work together on issues surrounding the use of technology, ensuring that the same high standards of instruction and need-based assistance is available to all despite the difference in their functional abilities.