In recent days the number of people enrolled in schools with disabilities is tremendously increasing with America taking the lead. Students enrolled in special education programs have raised by thirty percent for the past ten years (Blake and Bodine, 2012). Moreover, in the general classrooms, there is a percentage that constitutes of the disabled students. Three out of four students in general classrooms have a sign of disability though not that serious. However, the supply of disability technology and equipment is not proportionate to the increasing number of disabled students (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). Additionally, the students’ instructors are not enough to serve the large group. Forty-seven schools are in need of instructors on an annual basis. Therefore, to fill up the gaps that need to be occupied by disability instructors, assistive technology is used. In today's ’ world assistive technology helps the disabled students with given disabilities such as eyesight and deaf, to learn more efficiently (Hersh and Johnson, 2013). Assistive technologies range from low assistive technologies to high assistive technologies. Low technologies may include graphics while high technologies include smartphone applications and cutting-edge software (Blake and Bodine, 2012). Therefore, assistive is a growing technology used around the globe. The use of these technologies is considered the main driver of the increase in the performance of disabled students (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). In this regard, therefore, this paper seeks to look into some of the assistive devices and technologies mostly used in disability classrooms to improve the learning process.
Text-to-speech is one of the assistive tools or technologies used in disability classrooms (Blake and Bodine, 2012). Text-to-speech is software that is designed to help a student with difficulties in reading standard prints. The main and shared types of print disabilities are inclusive of dyslexia, blindness or any other common type of visual impairment (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). Students with learning disabilities or other physical disabilities that reduce the ability of the student to learn may use this kind of technology. The technology works using scanning the words and reads them out to the student in a synthesized voice (Hersh and Johnson, 2013). For effectiveness, the machine uses a significant number of speech sounds that makes up words in a given context. The Test-to-speech technology leads to advances in the speech synthesis.
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For students with sensor neural hearing loss, FM systems are the best choice for them. Sensor neural can occur at all ages of life as asserted by Blake and Bodine (2012). It happens when an inner ear or the nerve pathways connecting the inner ear and the brains are damaged. FM systems are operated by use of radio broadcaster technology. The radio is also accompanied using a receiver and a transmitter microphone (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). The technology ensures that the instructor and the students maintain the same sound level irrespective of the distance between them or the noise in the background (Hersh and Johnson, 2013). In the process of using this technology, the ASHA notes, and the microphone for hearing are turned off to ensure that the student only concentrates on the teacher alone.
Wheelchairs are used for mobile impaired students. Mobile impaired students are students who cannot walk. According to Gomi and Griffith (2014), the wheelchair helps them to move from one place to the other to access various academic facilities, tools and equipment. Therefore, it improves the level of physical access to the students to the available learning materials. No power is needed to drive the wheelchair. Nevertheless , only the energy to push the wheelchair forward is necessary (Hersh and Johnson, 2013). However, some people with mobility related disabilities opt to use crutches, scooters or canes to enhance their mobility level. Therefore, students with this kind of disability are encouraged to purchase such kind of technologies to improve their mobility.
Sip and puff systems are used by used without hands. Most of the students who use this kind of technology are in most cases paralyzed making their hands weak (Blake and Bodine, 2012). The system helps the student to control any part of the computer, mobile device or any other kind of technological applications by use of mouth. The systems operation works just like a joystick. The systems enable the student to move the device in any direction clicking on various navigation tools to help in learning process (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). The technology in most cases is used to replace a computer mouse. Simple actions are enough to control the technology and work as desired.
The draft Builder is a common writing tool that integrates and outlines note writing as well draft writing. The technology breaks down the writing process into three separate steps by use of a graphical organizer (Hersh and Johnson, 2013). The technology assists the student in visualizing the project and filling in data in the most appropriate spaces without necessarily conceptualizing the entire process (Blake and Bodine, 2012) . The process itself automates the steps and process of creating the paper. Additionally, the technology also works well with spell checks and learning guidance.
Assistive listening technology is guaranteed for most students who are deaf. It is also applicable for those with auditory and learning problems. The technology is used to enhance the effectiveness of hearing aids as well as cochlear implants (Blake and Bodine, 2012). Assistive listening systems can be in the form of microphones. Microphones are types of transmission technologies that help in capturing and letting sound in the ear. The transmission systems are typical in contrasting the assistive listening systems.
The blind uses some assistive technologies to enhance their learning skills. The technologies used are in line with enhancing the visual standard of the students. Braille technology is the most assistive technology in this case (Blake and Bodine, 2012). The technology helps the students to access and produce braille in the process of learning. However, various models and types of braille technology exist (Gomi and Griffith, 2014). However, the blind students also use the tactual graphic technology to enable them to read tactual graphics and charts (Hersh and Jackson, 2013). The computers employed by the blind students are also fixed with screen enlargement readers that are inbuilt in the computers to ensure that the students are in a position to read from the computers. The braille is composed of a braille compass a device that helps the students to locate the four compass directions (Blake and Bodine, 2012). Braille watch gives them an idea to read time from the watches just like normal students.
In conclusion, it is, therefore, evident that despite the fact that some students live with disabilities they have the chance to live like an other student . Through the use of assistive technologies in the process of learning, they tend to be similar to other students. Various assistive technologies is put in place to help the blind, deaf and people with reading and writing impairment as well as people with mobility problems. The technologies are developed with the mandate of correcting the problem. The blind uses the help of braille ; the deaf uses assistive listening systems. People with reading and writing impairments use the draft builder technology and the people with mobility problems may either use the scotches or wheelchairs.
References
Blake, D. J., & Bodine, C. (2012). An overview of assistive technology for persons with multiple sclerosis. Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development , 39 (2), 299.
Gomi, T., & Griffith, A. (2014). Developing intelligent wheelchairs for the disabled. In Assistive Technology and Artificial Intelligence (pp. 150-178). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
Hersh, M., & Johnson, M. A. (Eds.). (2013). Assistive technology for visually impaired and blind people . Springer Science & Business Media.
