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Assistive Technology
According to the United States Assistive Technology Act of 1998, assistive technology (AT) refers to a product, device, or piece of equipment used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of those individuals with disabilities or impairments. AT is a great equalizer. Although AT cannot completely overcome a disability, as technology progresses, many forms of AT move closer to allowing an individual with a disability to navigate the everyday requirements of our increasingly technological society and achieve autonomy. AT paired with educational technology is changing the way children are educated. This entry discusses government support for AT as well as the need to match AT to the individual and how this match can be completed. An outline of the different purposes of AT and the recent and future developments in AT are discussed.
Government Support
Through the last three decades, AT has received significant attention and support from legislation in many countries. The American Technology Act of 1988 provided technology-related assistance for individuals with disabilities and was a major step in securing technology opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The American Telecommunications Act of 1996 provided guidelines for accessibility, usability, and compatibility for software and hardware. These guidelines provided the needed framework for making the Internet accessible. In 1998, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act in the United States provided training to students in the academic and technological skills needed to meet with success in the workplace. Part of the legislation provided career and technology education for individuals with disabilities.
In Europe, there are many parallel examples of efforts to provide specific assistance for those with disabilities. The European Union has launched a free online resource to help people with disabilities and the elderly find relevant assistive technology (AT) aids. The portal, ATIS4All, short for Assistive Technologies and Inclusive Solutions, seeks to simplify finding suitable AT.
In the United Kingdom, the Department of Health funds assistive technology research through section 22 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. According to the United Nations, access to assistive technologies is a human and fundamental right, as indicated in Article 4 of the United Nations Committee on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities.
Matching AT to the Individual
Assessing an individual for AT use is an essential component of the path to greater independence and integration into society for individuals with disabilities. Unfortunately, AT devices are frequently abandoned. Sometimes AT selection is based on a mismatch between the individual’s desires or needs and available AT. Often, the durability of the device is an issue. Sometimes the individual outgrows the capabilities of the device. Appropriate assessment increases the likelihood for the successful use of the AT device.
High-Tech Versus Low-Tech
Options for AT include both high-tech and low-tech devices. Typically, high-tech devices are more expensive and more specific to the individual. Often high-tech tools require the services of a technology specialist to facilitate acquisition, training, implementation, and maintenance and to determine when and if the tool needs to be upgraded. An example of a high-tech device would be a speech-generating device. Low-tech devices typically do not require extensive training prior to implementation. Specialized services from an AT specialist are typically not required for low-tech devices. An example of a low-tech piece of equipment would be a pencil grip.
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- Adaptive Learning Systems
- Adaptive and Responsive Websites
- Adaptive Learning Software and Platforms
- Avatars and Agents in Virtual Systems
- Cloud-Based Adaptive Systems
- Data Mining and Recommendation Engines
- Design and Creation of Adaptive Educational Systems
- Dynamic Student Profiles
- Intelligent Tutoring Systems
- Learners and Instructional Control in Adaptive Systems
- Learning Analytics
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- Personalized Learning and Instruction
- Student Modeling
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- Technologies That Learn and Adapt to Users
- Adult Education and Workforce Development
- Diffusion of New Technologies in the Workplace
- Distance Learning for Degree Completion for Working Adults
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- Information and Communication Technologies: Competencies in the 21st Century Workforce
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- Learning in the Defense Sector With Simulated Systems
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- Skill Decomposition
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- Cybersecurity
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- Digital Identity
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- Digital Literacy
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- Learning Analytics
- Learning Analytics for Programming Competencies
- Learning Analytics for Writing Competencies
- Recommendation Engines
- Reflection and Preflection Prompts and Scaffolding
- Repair Theory
- Student Response Systems
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- Alignment of Games and Learning Goals
- Assessment in Game-Based Learning
- Games and Transformational Play
- Games for Adult Learners
- Games in Business and Industry Settings
- Games in Elementary and Middle School Settings
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- Games in Higher Education
- Games in Medical Training
- Games in Military Training
- Games to Promote Inquiry Learning
- Games: Impact on Interest and Motivation
- Games: Impact on Learning
- Gamification
- Management Flight Simulators
- Serious Games
- Video Games and Student Assessment
- History of Educational Technology
- Informal Learning
- Design of Engaging Informal Learning Places and Spaces
- Informal Learning Strategies
- Information and Communication Technologies for Informal Learning
- Integrating Informal Learning with Programs at the College/University Level
- Integrating Informal Learning with School Programs at the Secondary Level
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- Information Tools and Technologies
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- E-Book Standards
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- Information and Communication Technologies: Competencies in the 21st Century Workforce
- Information and Communication Technologies: Knowledge Management
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- Mobile Tools and Technologies for Learning and Instruction
- Planning for Technology Upgrades and Improvements
- Podcasting for Learning and Information Sharing
- Radio Frequency Identification in Education
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- Cognitive Apprenticeship
- Cognitive Flexibility Theory
- Cognitive Load Theory
- Component Display Theory
- Conditions of Learning: Gagné’s Nine Events of Instruction
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- Four Component Instructional Design (4C/ID)
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- Elaboration Theory
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- New Visual World and Future Competencies
- Simulation-Based Learning
- Training Using Virtual Worlds
- Transmedia in Education
- Virtual Worlds
- Internet and Information Resources
- Cloud Computing
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- Creative Commons
- Desktop and Virtual Publishing
- Digital Archives
- Digital Curation
- Digital Storytelling
- Intellectual Property
- Internet of Things
- Internet: Impact and Potential for Learning and Instruction
- Metatagging of Learning Objects and Apps
- Online Mentoring
- Web Analytics
- Journals
- Mobile Technologies
- 3G and 4G Networks
- Apps for Use at the Elementary Level
- Apps for Use at the Secondary Level
- Apps for Use in Higher Education
- Integrated and Networked Mobile Devices for Learning and Instruction
- Learning and Instructional Apps
- Mobile Assistive Technologies
- Mobile Devices: Impact on Learning and Instruction
- Mobile Tools and Technologies for Learning and Instruction
- Radio Frequency Identification in Education
- Remote Sensing Technologies
- Tablet Devices in Education and Training
- Touch-Based and Gesture-Based Devices
- Wearable Learning Environments
- Open Access Resources
- Performance Technologies
- Psychological and Social Issues and Perspectives
- Accelerated Learning
- Affective Factors in Learning, Instruction, and Technology
- ARCS Model
- Behavioral Factors in Learning, Instruction, and Technology
- Cognition and Human Learning
- Cognitive Load Theory
- Constructivist Theory
- Cyberbullying
- Digital Divide
- Dual Coding Theory
- Educational Technology, Philosophical Perspectives on
- Experiential Learning
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Intersubjectivity and Educational Technology
- Motivation, Emotion Control, and Volition
- Neuroscience and Learning
- Situated Learning
- Vulnerability in Learning
- Simulation and Modeling Technologies
- Social Media
- Second Self
- Collaboration and Social Networking
- Integrating Social Media Into Learning and Instruction
- Measuring Contacts and Interactions in Social Networks
- New Visual World and Future Competencies
- Semantic Web
- Social Media and Networking
- Social Media in Elementary School Settings
- Social Media in Higher Education
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- Social Media in the Workplace
- Social Media, Identity in
- Social Network Analysis
- Social Networking
- Web 2.0 and Beyond
- Special Education
- Assistive Technology
- Assistive Technology for Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Gesture-Based Learning and Instructional Systems
- Technologies for Persons With Dyslexia
- Technologies for Persons With Hearing Impairments
- Technologies for Persons With Physical Disabilities
- Technologies for Persons With Visual Impairments
- Technologies for Students With Attention Deficit Disorder
- Technologies to Enhance Communication for Persons With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Universal Design
- Universal Design for Learning
- Teaching and Learning With Technology
- Badges and Skill Certification
- Collaborative Learning and 21st-Century Skills
- Collaborative Learning With Technology
- Leadership in E-Learning
- Learning and Instructional Apps
- Learning by Modeling
- Learning Objects
- Massive Open Online Courses
- Measuring and Assessing TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge)
- Natural Language Processing in Learning Environments
- Pedagogical Knowledge
- Personal Learning Environments
- Seamless Learning
- Self-Regulated E-Learning Design Principles
- Technologies for Critical Thinking Development
- Technologies for Gifted Students
- Technologies in Arts Education
- Technologies in Humanities Education
- Technologies in Mathematics Education
- Technologies in Medical Education
- Technologies in Science Education
- Technologies Supporting Self-Regulated Learning
- Technologies to Support Engineering Education
- Technology Knowledge
- Technology, Pedagogy, and the Learning Society
- TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge)
- TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge): Implications for 21st-Century Teacher Education
- Twenty-First-Century Technology Skills
- Virtual Learning Environments
- Virtual Schools and Programs
- Virtual Teams
- Technology Diffusion and Integration
- Change Agency
- Diffusion of Distance Education
- Diffusion of New Technologies in the Workplace
- Disruptive Innovations
- Disruptive Technologies
- Early Adopters
- Emerging Educational Technologies
- Innovators and Risk Takers in Education
- Predicting Change and Adoption of Technology Innovations
- Systemic Change and Educational Technology
- Technology Integration
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