Assitive Technology

My experiences with assistive technology is limited. The only assistive tech I have really used is using a classroom audio system. This allowed for all students to clearly hear me as I spoke and allowed for those with hearing impairments the ability to hear and understand more clearly. I love the examples the group provided from the teacher at CRP. Those are amazing examples of how assistive tech can change how a classroom functions and it can also make students feel a sense of belonging and empowerment to be more involved in a classroom setting.

Another great resource the group shared was Assistive Technology App Finder. This is an easy to use tool that assists teachers, parents and guardians find specific age appropriate apps and games for those children who may benefit from the use of assistive technology. There is a video Top 6 Assistive Technologies for People with Disabilities which provides insight into a variety of apps can transform lives for those who need assitive technology.

This video provides many great technologies to assist people who have Parkinson’s, but allowing them a spoon that can intelligently adjustment for someone whose hand is shaking. There is a stabilizer in the handle that allows for 70% reduction in tremor for those who are eating. This is a simple technology but can support people to make them not stress over their tremor.  Next, Talkitt was another technology I wanted to highlight from the video. It shares a story about a boy who was born premature. He wasn’t able to speak, therefore Talkitt makes it possible for this boy with a speech deficit so that he is able to communicate using his own voice. “This isn’t standard speech recognition,” said Danny Weissberg, the cofounder and CEO of Voiceitt. “We are using pattern recognition which is personalized for the speaker. For example, a person with Cerebral Palsy might say ‘sho-ko-la’ when he really means to say ‘chocolate.’ The app will recognize that based on the user’s own personalized, pre-recorded dictionary.”Overall, there are so many assistive technologies available that can change the lives of our students. It can create a sense of belonging and acceptance, which to me is a very important trait our students need to have.