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Assistive Technology: An Essential Tool to Support Students In College

Gain a basic understanding of assistive technology and the different types commonly used in higher education. Learn how to embrace assistive technology to benefit both students and your work.

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Assistive Technology: An Essential Tool to Support Students In College

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  1. Assistive Technology: An Essential Tool to Support Students In College Rachel Kruzel, ATP AHEAD Conference 2019 July 11th, 2019 – 9:00-10:30am

  2. Our Ask… We ask you join us in creating a culture of • Access • Inclusion • Civility, and • Respect …this week and in all aspects of our organization

  3. Silence Your Cell Please be respectful of your colleagues by silencing your phone. If you need to answer a call, please go into the hallway.

  4. Session Evaluation Your evaluation and feedback is important to us!!! Please see session moderator for paper evaluation form or complete the evaluation online.

  5. Agenda • What is Assistive Technology? • Why is Assistive Technology Important? • Assistive Technology Provision and Framework • Types of Assistive Technology Tools

  6. Goals for the Day • To give you a basic understanding of Assistive Technology • To give you an understanding of the different types of Assistive Technology on the market which are commonly used in higher ed and can be used with your students • To give you the confidence and tools around Assistive Technology to embrace this in your work so these tools can benefit you and your work, and not be seen as a hindrance or what can seem like a time consuming item you should be doing in your office

  7. Gauge the Crowd • Do you think Disability Resources Offices are using Assistive Technology to provide accommodations to students?

  8. Gauge the Crowd -2 • Do you think Disability Resources Offices are using Assistive Technology to provide accommodations to students? • Do you think Disability Resource Offices are providing Assistive Technology to the fullest extent they could or to all the students who may benefit?

  9. Gauge the Crowd - 3 • Do you think Disability Resources Offices are using Assistive Technology to provide accommodations to students? • Do you think Disability Resource Offices are providing Assistive Technology to the fullest extent they could or to all the students who may benefit? • Why are your or other Disability Resource Offices hesitant (scared, nervous, etc.) to implement or use Assistive Technology with your students?

  10. Sonocent State of the Nation Survey • Lack of technical knowledge is noted as the least challenging obstacle when implementing accommodations • 92% have trialed Assistive Technology, showing disability services departments have a desire to implement AT at their institution, and believe their teams have the skills and knowledge to do so effectively • Respondents are often hindered by a lack of the resources needed to make it a success “If departments do not receive the support needed to implement new accommodations, they will continue to rely on traditional methods which may be more costly in the long run and less effective for certain disabilities.” From: The challenges of implementing new accommodations – Sonocent Blog Post

  11. What Is Assistive Technology?

  12. Assistive Technology Definition “… any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” -Assistive Technology Act of 1998, as amended Technology that helps someone maintain what they are doing or help them to do more than what they could do without it.

  13. Brainstorming Assistive Technology What are some examples of Assistive Technology based on the definition we just talked about?

  14. High Tech vs. Low Tech For Cost vs. Low Cost

  15. Low Tech versus High Tech • Assistive Technology is on a continuum from Low Tech to High Tech • Low Tech: • Less training • Less expensive • Not as complex • No mechanical features • High Tech: • Complex features • Electronic or battery operated • More Training • Higher Cost

  16. Which is Better? • High Tech isn’t better than Low Tech • Low Tech isn’t drive by power • Power goes out? • Outside camping? • Electronics can fail • Dropping the item and it breaks • Items wear out over time • Complexity can be too hard for someone

  17. Scale of High and Low Tech On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being Low Tech and 10 being High Tech, where would you put each item?

  18. Pencil Grips

  19. Dragon Naturally Speaking/Dragon Dictate or other Dictation Program

  20. Color Overlays

  21. White Cane

  22. Augmentative and Alternative Communication Device

  23. Magnifying Glass

  24. Braille Note/Braille Notetaking Device

  25. CCTV

  26. Highlighters

  27. Scan and Read Pen

  28. Post-It Notes

  29. Alternative Keyboard

  30. Enlarged Print

  31. The Why Behind Assistive Technology

  32. Why Is Assistive Technology Important? • Provides access to people with disabilities • Increases ability to complete work or tasks • Created/Increases independence • Less reliance on other humans • Builds skills

  33. Trends in Assistive Technology Administration For students coming into college… • Low Incidence Disabilities are typically exposed to and/or have access to Assistive Technology in the K-12 Education Setting • Blind Low Vision • Deaf/Hard of Hearing • Mobility • High Incidence Disabilities are typically exposed to and/or have access to Assistive Technology for the first time in the Higher Education or Workplace setting • Learning Disabilities • ADHD • Mental Health • Autism Spectrum Disorder • This is the largest population of students our office serve in higher ed

  34. Access to Assistive Technology • Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology did a study in 2015 tracking access to Assistive Technology • 85% of students reported not being exposed to assistive technology • First time students are exposed is in higher education • If they aren’t exposed in higher ed, when will they get access or exposure?

  35. Benefits of Assistive Technology • 91% of students surveyed said AT is Very or Somewhat Important to complete tasks successfully and independently • 70% of colleges and universities report that AT Is a core way they support students with disabilities on campus -QIAT Study

  36. Colorado State University Study • Colorado State University did a study on the perception of one’s performance on school tasks and also the actual performance of school tasks in regards to AT • Measured students’ perceptions of how they did on tasks before AT was implemented and measured perceptions after it was implemented on the same tasks • (Qualitative) • Also measured their performance level on these tasks • (Quantitative) “… student ratings of their performance on all of the common academic occupations of reading, writing, note-taking, test-taking, and studying significantly increased from pre-to-post AT intervention…as did the average overall performance rating…” (Malcom, 2016)

  37. Why Assistive Technology in College? • Laws and guidelines in higher ed say technology should always be used in place of a human if possible • Dear Colleague Letter of 2019 • Federal Complaints and Settlement Agreements from Department of Justice and Department of Education “… acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in a an equally effective and equally integrative manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.” – Courtesy of AHEAD Regarding DOJ Settlement with Louisiana Tech University Concerning Inaccessible Course Materials

  38. Who “Qualifies” for Assistive Technology?

  39. Who “Qualifies” for AT? • We focus on the impacts of disability when deciding accommodations • But when looking at AT, so many people look at disability diagnosis • We should be looking at impacts as well • Look at the impacts and deficits that the disability causes, not on the diagnosis • For every person, with or without a disability, there is some piece of technology that will benefit them • For every student you work with, there is likely a piece of technology that will benefit the impact(s) of their disability • Go so far to guarantee this!

  40. Process and Questions

  41. The Importance of Process • Assistive Technology will not solve problems on its own • Without a process, the assistive technology is just a tool and may not be used to its full potential • Student must be involved in the process • Process should be taught and modeled, and/or applied to the work they will be doing with the tool • Outside factors may be influencing student • Hunger • Sleep • Lack of Materials

  42. The Importance of Questions • Look at the process as a series of questions and tools for assistance in the process • If you don’t know what the process (questions) are, the tool will not be useful that you implement • May have to create external versions of internal processes, systems, and monitors

  43. Types of Assistive Technology

  44. Before We Begin… • 100s of 1000s of tools, devices, and software programs out on the market • The high cost of AT tools is decreasing overall • Many high quality tools are free or low cost • Many tools are available for anyone to use • UDL vs. Ed Tech vs. Tech • Multiple categories of tools • Can be available in many platforms: • Software • Stand-alone • Extension or Add-On • Web-Based Tool • Built-In Tool

  45. Built-In Tools • Tools that are available within a program or operating system • Many companies are seeing how tools can benefit anyone • Universal Design for Learning and Ed Tech approach to Assistive Technology • No need to install anything • Windows Operating System • Mac Operating System • iOS • Android • Office 365

  46. Text-to-Speech Also Known As: Audio Books, Electronic Text, Text-t0-Voice, Reading Support, Literacy Support • Kurzweil • Read&Write • Read&Write for Google • Co:Writer • Office 365 Learning Tools • Voice Dream Reader Students will be to be provided electronic files of their text in an accessible format (aka a format the program can use to read their book)

  47. Text-to-Speech Benefits • Instead of a reader • Fatigue • Concentration • Impacts of Learning Disability • Decoding • Ability to carry books/stamina • Others?

  48. Speech-to-Text Also Known As: Dictation, Voice-to-Text, Speech Recognition • Dragon Naturally Speaking • Dragon Dictate (phasing out) • Windows Speech Recognition • Microsoft Dictate • Dictation – Mac Computers • Google VoiceTyping

  49. Speech-to-Text Benefits • Instead of a Writer/Scribe • Struggles with fine motor skills • Can’t effectively write • Struggle to get words/thoughts from head to hands • Others?

  50. Notetaking Support Also Known As: Audio of Lecture, Notetaking Tool, Recorded Lecture • Digital Voice Recorder – standalone • Smartpen – standalone • Sonocent Audio Notetaker – Windows, Mac, iOS • Noteability – iOS • OneNote – Microsoft product

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