3 Page Paper APA style

Running head: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 1

Assistive Technologies Research

Paper

Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired

Student Name

Fayetteville State University

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 2

Abstract

After reviewing this paper, the reader will have a better understand of what assistive technology

is for people who have disabilities. This paper will discuss what assistive technology is and how

it is used with students who are visually impaired, as well as whether this disability affects

student’s performance in a classroom setting. Also included is the description of two devices

that may be used by a visually impaired student to allow them equal opportunity in the

classroom; Text to Speech devices and Braille Notetakers will allow a student with disability to

take note and hear written material.

With research and planning a teacher can provide a visually impaired student with devices and

technology that will aid them in learning and retaining information needed in that class. Teachers can

do further research online, talk with a student’s parents, and contact professionals who specialized with

assistive technology and people with disabilities to ensure that all measure have been taken to allow a

better learning environment for everyone.

Keywords: visually impaired, assistive technology, student, disability, technology

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 3

Assistive Technology for the Visually Impaired

As we look around we can see that everyone is different, but there are also differences

with how people live and learn; some people live with disabilities that limits them on certain

capabilities. This also applies to a classroom setting. A teacher will have students who learn differently

or even require certain techniques and devices that allow them to participate in the same activities as

the other students. With the use of assistive technology these students will have an equal advantage as

the other students in that class.

Assistive Technologies

Assistive Technology is the use of any item, a piece of equipment, the use of a system developed for a

disability, or even a computer program so it will help and/or service a person with a disability. This can

be in any form and can range from homemade to electronic devices or even a device to aid a person

physically; for people that are visually impaired it is there to assist

the person and give them a freedom to also interact and see the material in different ways.

Visually Impaired

People who are visually impaired can be categorized into three levels low vision,

functional blindness, or blindness; these are often used to describe and categorize levels of vision

(Cox, 2001).

People who have low vision are ones that can see some, but they might need a larger print when

reading and it could take more time to decipher what they are looking at. People who have functional

blindness has enough sight to see images or figures, but not enough vision to read or write. People who

have blindness can either be nearly blind or completely blind, this level is when a person must rely on

their other senses and are not able to see anything such as shapes, forms, or words.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 4

Visually Impaired Students

Students who are visually impaired will have some trouble with keeping up in the

Classroom due to their disability; because they are limited to what they can do.

These students may have trouble with seeing the assignments posted on the board or worksheets

handed out to the class, reading PowerPoints for notes, taking notes while the teacher is discussing the

day’s lesson, they may have trouble moving around the classroom, and they may have trouble

connecting with other students making them feel isolated.

Depending on the level of visual impairment that the student is at the teacher, parents, and principle

can discuss and decide the best form of assistive technology and plan that will allow the student to have

an equal opportunity to learn.

Assistive Technology Devices

There are so many assistive technology tools that a student can use today

in a classroom, but only two will be discussed in this paper, Text to Speech devices and Braille

Notetakers. Text to Speech (TTS) devices are available on many electronic devices such as computer,

tablets, and even cellphones; a TTS device will take words and read them aloud so that the

student can hear the words on the screen. This type of device could be used by a student in a

classroom to hear the notes displayed on PowerPoints, they can listen to chapters in the textbook,

and listen to work that is handed out in class; by simply using headphone.

Programs such as optical character recognition (OCR) will allow the student to take a picture of the work

and information will be read aloud from the image (The Understood Team, 2014-2017). Another device

a student can use is the Braille Notetaker, it is a small and portable device that will allow students to

enter words using Braille characters that form sentences (Hasselbring, 2000); this type of device would

allow a student to take their own notes in class instead of having premade

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 5

notes by a teacher, this would allow the student to better understand and retain the material by making

personal transcriptions of their own about the lesson. By using devices such as TTS and

a Braille Notetaker the student will be allowed to learn the lesson, while giving them their own

independence to take notes and listen to the material that is being given in the classroom.

Conclusion

In conclusion with a little extra research and preparation a teacher can organize and

provide a student with a disability, a classroom that will allow for an equal learning opportunity;

by having a plan and working with parents, the principle, and professionals the students will have a

comfortable environment that will provide assistive technology that is specific to that student’s

disability.

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED 6

References

Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA). (2017). What is AT?Retrieved from ATIA

Assistive Technology Industry Association : https://www.atia.org/at-resources/what-is-at/

Hasselbring, T. S., Glaser, C.H.W.

(2000). Use of Computer Technology to Help Students with

Special Needs. The Future of Children,10(2),114-116. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/1602691?seq=6#page_scan_tab_contents Cox, P. R.,

Dykes, M. K. (2001).

Effective Classroom Adaptations for Students with Visual Impairments. Retrieved from Paths to

Literacy:http://www.pathstoliteracy.org/sites/pathstoliteracy.perkinsdev1.org/files/uploadedfiles/Effective%20Classroom%20Adaptations_CEC_2001.pdf

The American Foundation for the Blind's Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute. (200,

September 26). Educating Students With Visual Impairments for Inclusion in Society.

Retrieved from American Foundation for the Blind: http://www.afb.org/info/programs-and-services/professional-development/teachers/inclusive-education/1235 The Understood Team. (2014-2017).

Text-to-Speech Technology: What It Is and How It Works. Retrieved from Understood for Learning and Attention Issues: https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/assistive technologies-basics/text-to-speech-technology-what-it-is-and-how-it-works