In the past, disabled people were
given no chance to an education. They were isolated and rejected from society
that made them fit nothing close to normal. However, as time had passed things
changed including the use of technology. Disabled people are now given the
right to an education with the help of assistive technology. It has become a
big impact on a disabled student’s education because with a variety of
assistive technologies they are able to gain the proper education that is almost
equivalent to the education that a normal student would receive.
One assistive technology that a
disabled student can benefit from is a speech recognition application. This
technology is made specifically for those students who have impaired hearing.
The student will no longer require an in class translator or a person to
communicate sign language. This device will do the job a lot easier for them.
All it needs is for someone to speak out loud to the device and it will
automatically show the spoken words through text.
Having accessible keyboards within
a classroom is another assistive technology method for disabled students. There
are many types available. One type of keyboard is made to have extra large keys
that will help a disabled student to see the keys more clearly. An ergonomic
keyboard is another type of accessible keyboard. Sometimes it can be made to
slant up to help those who can’t sit up properly or its shape can be altered in
any way that will accommodate a disabled student. Sometimes a special mouse
will be used alongside a keyboard. It will have a controllable rolling ball and
buttons for those who can’t move their arms but can only move their fingers.
Besides keyboards, there are also
accessible switches available within the classroom. And just like the
keyboards, they are also made in many different ways to accommodate a disabled
student. It can be controlled by the movement of a foot, a head, the blink of
an eye, or by breath responses. These responses allow the disabled student to
communicate with the teacher or help them to participate in an assignment.
In conclusion, there are a wide
range of assistive technologies open to disabled students. The speech recognition applications, keyboards, and switches were just a few of the many technologies discussed. I believe that with this
available variation disabled students are actually capable of receiving a
proper education. With the help of assistive technology they are no longer
separated from the social norm. I also believe that assistive technology gives
children control and power to help them be in charge of their education. As
time will pass, assistive technology will always grow and as it grows it will
continue to make it easier for students w/ disabilities to communicate better
with the teacher and society.
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I have an uncle who is already 50 years old and is disabled and during his time in school he was considered unteachable at the time and therefore
ReplyDeletewasn't required to really do good in school. Assistive technology is now making it possible for kids who are the same as my uncle to better be understood in the classroom.
Your mention of sign language reminds me of how significant it is to have live video conversations. Skype, Google+, etc. have probably helped deaf people greatly.
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