For most of my schoolwork and curriculum development I use my MacBook Pro. This operates with the OS X Yosemite operating system. The apple site describes the assistive technologies of this operating system, but here are a few that stand out:
1. Safari Reader- This feature helps students that are overwhelmed by visual distractions such as advertisements, navigation bars, etc. It also helps students with vision impairments as the Text to Speech and VoiceOver features work in Safari Reader as well.
2. Text to Speech- With this feature students can listen to the text on the screen and follow along by reading. Students can choose a voice and adjust to over 20 different languages. This would help students with physical or visual disabilities.
3. Dictation helps students that struggle with reading, especially those with dyslexia. With this feature students can write an email or search the web using their voice. This feature converts their voice to text. This feature will help students with visual, physical, and auditory disabilities.
4. FaceTime- This feature helps students that need guidance with social interaction and communication. FaceTime allows students to see one another and practice conversation.
One hiccup in the movement toward assistive/adaptive technologies is schools, universities, and libraries is the tight budget that hinders their decision makers from buying technologies that only help a few students. The “Section 504 regulation requires a school district to provide a ‘free appropriate public education’ (FAPE) to each qualified person with a disability who is in the school district’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s disability” ( “Free Appropriate Public Education under Section 504”). As a result, I believe the question boils down to how school districts are choosing to create their budgets. The justification for purchasing assistive technology clearly lies in the definition of FAPE. All students deserve the best educational possible. Therefore, my justification to those in opposition would be that assistive technology isn’t just for students with disabilities but for ALL students. I believe every student should have access to assistive technologies as they learning style of each individual student is unique. I may be a straight A student but need to work hard in school because my genetic make-up doesn’t declare me gifted, yet I don’t have a disability standing in my way. The average student benefits from these technologies, thus the investment isn’t just for the disabled but for all students.
Resources
Apple - Education - Special Education - OS X. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from https://www.apple.com/education/special-education/osx/
Free Appropriate Public Education under Section 504. (2010, August 1). Retrieved April 19, 2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504.html
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