Assistive technology devices and software are crucial to the success of blind and visually impaired students. Keeping track of the latest products and services, understanding how each functions, and determining the most appropriate solution can be a challenge for teachers, administrators, and Individual Education Plan (IEP) team members.
A new handbook, Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment, by Ike Presley and Frances Mary D’Andrea and published by AFB Press, provides a systematic approach to help educators evaluate and address the technology needs of individual students.
Assistive Technology for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
The new handbook includes:
- An overview of assistive technology students can use to manage print or electronic information accessed through vision, touch, or hearing
- How to select appropriate tools and strategies
- A structured process for conducting a technology assessment
- A detailed assessment form (includes reproducible blank forms)
- Advice on writing program recommendations based on assessment results
- Tips on working with technology effectively
- A summary of laws and regulations relating to assistive technology
- A resource section of assistive technology producers
- Readings about technology instruction.
Assistive Technology For Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: A Guide to Assessment is available in paperback, ASCII, or CD-ROM: $49.95.
Assistive Technology Assessment for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired Seminar
AFB is sponsoring a training seminar at its Atlanta headquarters (April 23-25, 2009) on conducting assistive technology assessments for blind and visually impaired students presented by Ike Presley.
Participants will learn techniques to determine the technology needs of students for accessing print and electronic information, producing written communication, and producing materials in alternate formats.
According to Presley, assistive technology often sits in a closet, which diminishes its perceived benefits, especially among administrators who have committed limited financial resources. An assistive technology assessment can lead to a better match between students and technology. Teachers can easily investigate the potential benefits of technology options.
Participants will learn to:
- Identify the major components of an assistive technology assessment
- Gather background information
- Assess the student's options for accessing print and electronic information
- Determine appropriate writing tools
- Determine tools needed to produce materials in alternate formats.
Participants will explore technological options for accessing print information visually, tactually, and auditorally as well as options available for accessing electronic information through screen magnification technologies, screen reading software, and hard copy and refreshable braille.
The seminar will also present strategies for assessing stand alone devices such as talking calculators, talking dictionaries and accessible PDAs.
Applications for the 24 available spaces must be received by March 12, 2009. Contact Shirley Landrum (404.525.2303) with any questions. Return applications to:
American Foundation for the Blind
100 Peachtree Street, Suite 620
Atlanta, GA 30303
Fax: 404.659.6957
Assessing which technologies will provide blind and visually impaired students with the most effective means to create and retrieve information to augment learning requires a systematic approach. AFB’s new assessment guide and seminar offer clear steps to enable teachers to meet the specific needs of all students.
Andrew Leibs - Andrew Leibs is Suite101’s Feature Writer for Accessible Recreation. He is a longtime chronicler of the disability movement with ...
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