Journal 10

Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged.
By Diane Curtis

This article takes a look at the ways that assistive technologies can help students who lack full mobility participate in class and school activities. The author describes several students who have a variety of physical disabilities, including an 11 year old who cannot walk, speak, or use any of his limbs but can communicate through the use of his eyebrows. Specific software and hardware was created for this student which allows him to write about events in his life such as meal preferences and trips with his family through pictures and photographs.

This example is an eye-opening reality of the huge positive impact technology can have on the lives of men and women who are physically disabled. Computers programs such as voice recognition software are being actively developed to provide new opportunities for disabled students. This article highlights these opportunities and is a fabulous example of the positive benefits seen through the development and implementation of assistive technologies.



Question 1:

How do these tools (assistive technologies) help students feel more independent?

These tools provide students with abilities and opportunities that would otherwise not exist for them in their lives. For example, one student with cerebral palsy is able to communicate through the use of voice-recognition software. This gives a person who would otherwise be unable to speak with other people the incredible opportunity to interact with people in direct conversation. This is a huge benefit for the student and is a striking example of how the use of assistive technology can help students with disabilities become more independent.

Question 2:

Should schools limit the amount of funding available for purchasing assistive technologies for disabled students?

I think the obvious answer to this question is No. The value and importance of assistive technologies for disabled students is huge. Although I imagine that the cost for some of these technologies is quite high, the ways in which they positively affect the lives of disabled students and facilitate their educational growth and development are even more important than the financial cost. Schools should never seek to limit the funding available for these technologies, but should actively engage in fund-raising to provide more assistive technology for students with special needs.