The use of assistive technology for students with disabilities in inclusive education

Abstract

Under Section 5, Subsection 5 of the Regulation of the Minister of National Education of August 9, 2017, on conditions for organizing education and care for children and adolescents with disabilities, children and adolescents who are socially maladjusted, and children and adolescents who are at risk of social maladjustment, children with disabilities are granted equal access to education in mainstream schools as well as to curricula, methods, and organization of instruction that are adapted to their psychophysical abilities and provided within an inclusive education model. Many researchers who analyze the conditions for successful inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream school argue that assistive technology can help these students overcome a lot of barriers they encounter in inclusive settings, thus giving them a chance of a significantly higher level of academic performance and social functioning. This paper explains what assistive technology is and provides a review of available solutions in the area of technological support for students with visual impairments, hearing impairments, communication disorders, and mobility disabilities. It also analyzes the use of assistive technology in working with students with disabilities in a diverse school setting from the point of view of challenges facing teachers and the whole environment supporting students with disabilities.