The Limits of Technology
Technology can open doors for many students with special needs. It also, however, can impede learning if it is not designed to be accessible to students and the assistive technology they use, such as alternative keyboards and screen reading software.
For students with disabilities, technology barriers may occur in a number of ways. The following examples illustrate some of the obstacles students with disabilities may face.
Chris | Disability: Hearing Impaired | Technology: Multimedia
Chris, a high school student who is hard of hearing, has video assignments for his social studies class.
Since he is unable to hear the narration in the video, he misses vital information and does poorly on his assignment.
Jordon | Disability: Blind | Technology: Computer-based test
Jordon, a middle school student who is blind, is unable to take test on the computer because the testing software is not compatible with his assistive device, a Braille note taker. Instead, he must take an alternative version of the test, whose validity is questioned by his teacher and parents.
Trisha | Disability: Cerebral Palsy | Technology: Online curriculum
Trisha is an eighth grader with a physical disability and limited use of her hands. She completes most of her homework using a computer and assistive technology. Her school now subscribes to an online history curriculum, but it is not compatible with her assistive technology. As a result, she is dependent on her assistant and her mother to help her with her history homework.
Kristina | Disability: Dyslexia | Technology: Digital textbook
Kristina is a middle-school student who has dyslexia. She uses a scan-and-read program and digital textbooks to help her with her reading assignments. Some of her digital textbooks and support materials are in a format that her text reader can’t capture. As a result, she is falling behind in her reading and her grades are slipping.
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