About the Author
Alyssa Abel is an education writer with a special interest in inclusive education and emerging methodologies. Read more of her work on Syllabusy.
introduction
When it comes to making spaces accessible for students with physical disabilities, an open, embracing attitude and appropriate technology are essential for schools to focus on.
Assistive technology helps adults and children with disabilities navigate their everyday lives and take on learning challenges. Today, technology can assist with almost any need — and it’s particularly crucial in education to give students with disabilities the same opportunities as their peers. Numerous schools across the U.S. have done their part to make their campuses more inclusive, but many educational environments could benefit from better integration.
Not every assistive technology is high-tech or expensive, and schools shouldn’t be scared off by costs — there are a variety of low-cost ways to promote inclusivity and accessibility in the classroom.
For schools, educators and educational programs alike, here are six assistive tech innovations to make the classroom more accessible for everyone.
1. Text-to-Speech Programs
Text-to-speech programs allow students with reading disabilities or physical disabilities to interact with their reading materials. As technology advances, many voice programs become more life-like and clearer, which allows for better comprehension of words and sentences.
Text-to-speech resources can also benefit students who are nonverbal because they help facilitate communication with teachers and other students. Many programs are technically free — they come preinstalled on modern computers and smartphones. However, more advanced software programs such as Zabaware, NaturalReader and iSpeech — to name only a few options — exist for educators to download and use in the classroom. These programs aim to allow students to hear text read aloud from devices such as tablets and computers, offer them an easier way to interact with written content, and ensure that the classroom is engaging, interactive and inclusive for students with disabilities.
2. Closed Captioning
Closed captions help students who are deaf or hard of hearing to interact with video and audio material. Subtitles and closed captions are different in that subtitles are often translated from another language, but the concept is largely similar. Most DVDs come with subtitles, but as education shifts to social media platforms, more websites will need to offer these necessary tools.
Professors can upload lectures and other educational videos to YouTube, which allows them to create closed captions and transcripts. Facebook and Twitter offer this same ability, but it's up to video-makers to add captions and make their content accessible.
3. Virtual Classrooms
Online courses are popular with countless students and teachers because of their convenience. Learners can participate in lessons from anywhere in the world if they have an internet connection. They become open to a diverse range of classes they wouldn't find at their home institutions.
This technology is useful for students with anxiety, PTSD and similar conditions, as they can socialize with peers without stress or fear. While inclusive virtual classrooms are an option for students with disabilities, however, physical classrooms should ensure they design their environments and curriculums around inclusion so that students of all abilities feel supported and engaged at school.
4. Mobility Tools
Not every form of assistive technology is high-tech. Some are simpler and more cost-effective, which makes it easier for schools to purchase them in sizeable quantities. Examples include pencil grips, book holders and automatic page-turners for students with physical disabilities. Many page-turners work in conjunction with a sip-and-puff machine, foot pedal or voice-activated device.
Pencil grips come in a range of styles depending on the learner's need, with some fitting over the fingers for better control. They allow the user to maintain a steady grasp of their writing utensils and hone their fine motor skills.
5. Mouse-Free Navigation
Computers with mouse-free navigation enable students with physical disabilities to complete digital assignments and participate in online courses. This technology most commonly includes voice-activated programs, joysticks and sip-and-puff devices. Joysticks provide smooth navigation in as few movements as possible, reducing the possibility of fatigue or strain. Many have symmetrical designs to prevent painful hand positioning, making this technology thoughtful and comfortable.
Sip-and-puff switches can attach to a range of electronics, including computers. Learners can scroll through pages and perform right and left clicks by using this device.
6. FM Systems
Frequency modulated systems — or FM systems — allow students who are hard of hearing to listen to lectures while tuning out ambient noise. Children often use these because they're appropriate for managing loud environments without being overwhelmed. FM systems are small and portable, and they interact with hearing implants by amplifying the teacher's voice.
FM systems use radio waves to send speech signals to hearing implants. They come with a transmitter for student use and a microphone, which the lecturer speaks into.
Inclusive Education for the Future
Learners with disabilities deserve a comprehensive education with a world of tools available for their assistance — and it’s up to schools to incorporate the right technology to advance inclusive education. Educational environments that implement these devices can contribute to making classrooms comfortable and open to every student — but remember, the spirit of inclusivity goes beyond technology.
In order to assure that schools foster a supportive, embracing and well-equipped environment for students with disabilities, inclusion needs to begin with comprehensive teacher training — both for the implemented assistive technology and for the spirit of inclusion itself. By making inclusion part of educators’ own educations, administrations ensure they are optimizing technology usage and the integration of students with disabilities.
In addition to implementing accessible policies and tools, schools should recognize the importance of advocacy — so educational spaces don’t just say they’re inclusive, but they genuinely feel inclusive. Every classroom should encourage open and honest conversation, teaching all students to accept each other and showing students with disabilities that their voices matter.
This post is intended to offer an introduction to relevant assistive classroom technology, not a comprehensive list of available low-tech resources. Our goal is to initiate conversation and awareness of classroom inclusivity[AB1] . Any brands included in this post were included for the purpose of exemplification and do not represent an active endorsement from ETI. If you’re an educator dedicated to making your school a more authentic inclusive environment, we encourage you to seek further information to drive administrative action that will better support all students.
note
The tech brands informed in this text were included for the purpose of exemplification and do not represent an active endorsement from ETI.