Trevor Boland

eLearning and Digital Officer, AHEAD – Creating Inclusive Environments in Education and Employment for People with Disabilities

Assistive Technology is a powerful force that supports people to be included in all aspects of society, but to most people this term; ‘Assistive Technology,’ or AT for short, is completely unknown. Why is this the case, and how can we change this?

‘Technology has the potential to contribute to a better quality of life for students, which is more than just a matter of convenience (Wehmeyer, Palmer, Smith, Davies, & Stock, 2008)’

Let us begin our journey by talking about technology in general. Day to day life features an abundance of technology, like Smartphones, Tablet devices, computers, and Laptops. Within these common devices are the tools that allow us to interact with these technologies in a variety of ways. So, what do I mean by this? Not all of us are fast typists, nor are we all the most fluent of readers, however within our devices are in-built tools that give us the possibility to type using our voice (referred to as dictation or speech-to-text), and to have the device read information back to us so we can listen rather than read the text (referred to as read aloud or text to speech).

These are examples of how AT gives people control over how they create and engage with written material. These tools mean that anyone, for example, can create an essay with their voice and then proofread their essay by having it read back to them. So, they now hear mistakes in their writing and can amend them; a practical and effortless way to use AT, that can benefit all types of students, across all levels of education. Does this not sound like something we should all try to be aware of?

These dictation and read-aloud tools are perfect examples of Assistive Technology and are present in devices that we interact with on a daily basis. Yet, there is a gap in our knowledge when it comes to the possibilities of AT, and in turn, we are missing opportunities to explore and acquire new ways to help us all personalise our relationship with technology such that we maximise our capacity for engagement and creation.

To further elaborate, AT is a wide-reaching term that ranges from non-tech, to low-tech, to high-tech tools. Non-tech AT includes tools such as walking sticks, pencil grips and even eyeglasses. Low-tech tools are represented by spelling and grammar checks in Word. Similarly household items like your desktop mouse and remote control also make this category. High-tech involves smart home devices that aid our day to day living numerous ways, as opposed to carrying out a singular function. Phones may serve as timers, search engines, alternatives to your television remotes and may be linked to the lighting and heating systems in our homes. These are all examples of relatable everyday items; Assistive tools, without which we cannot fully participate in modern society.

The dearth of people's awareness of the invaluable AT that surrounds them makes the journey towards more advanced ATs difficult for the less tech-savvy among students and teachers alike. As an example, the term AT is a concept that is only introduced to some students for the first time as they enter Tertiary Education, only as they begin their demanding courses are they made aware of many of the tools that they will need. This is simply not sufficient. For among the demands of any course is the acquisition of AT skills, which will be paramount for maximal engagement.

As an Assistive Technology Officer in Higher Education, I observed this challenge annually, as I supported students with dyslexia, as well as other disabilities. It was not uncommon to meet students who had minimal experience with Assistive Technology before coming to college, even though the students’ owned devices that would have had access to read-aloud and dictation options that would support a student with dyslexia, they possessed inadequate knowledge of the practical applications AT could present them with.

Think about this for a moment, what would it be like if a universal awareness of assistive technology were embedded across all levels of education, from primary school to college, from everyday life to the workplace? What if these AT possibilities were a practiced concept that we were exposed to throughout our lives?

Could there not be a continuous development throughout life, of our ability to utilise effectively and creatively, the innumerable possibilities afforded by AT? I believe this would contribute to a more inclusive society that embraces diverse levels of ability. It would also contribute to a more productive lifestyle and allow our self-esteem to flourish as we are empowered to participate in a modern society, with little more than an improved integration of existing technologies into educational systems. This is not fantasy nor wishful thinking on my part, I steadfastly believe that we stand at the cusp of a shift that will take Assistive Technology out of the quiet silo it where it has resided for decades and into mainstream society.

In both education and work, we see the tools of digital ecosystems for ‘dictation’ and ‘read aloud,’ developed by Microsoft and Google, having permeated throughout these sectors. Now the AT skills that students acquire through education, ‘Immersive Reader’ for example, a Microsoft application that reads out text in a browser or in a Word document, can now be transferred to the workplace setting, and while sitting at your computer it is possible to insert your headphones and have ‘Immersive Reader’ read out a report to you. By having the information read aloud will, for some, commit it to memory faster. In AHEAD, we are raising awareness about Assistive Technology and addressing this gap in AT knowledge. In our website, we have created a section dedicated to AT that has not only information about distinct types of AT to support reading, writing, organisation, collaboration, communication as well as magnification and more, but we have also added a section called ‘Discover your Assistive Technology’ which poses 3 questions for you to answer. At the end of answering these simple questions, a list of AT tools is created that are starting points to help focus and begin people's exploration of AT. This tool is accessible to everyone as we want all types of people from all occupations to try this and delve into the world of Assistive Technology. We invite you to try it and share it with others as there are so many possibilities with AT and how it can help people of all ages and backgrounds.

If AT is so important then who is responsible for developing awareness about Assistive Technology and the empowering qualities, it possesses? We all have that responsibility whether you are a parent, student, employee, educator, policy maker, administrator, librarian, career guidance officer or whatever you are, you owe it to yourself to know more about AT as it may be able to help you or someone you know. As you are reading this article, this may have been the first time you have read about AT, so already you will know more AT than most. Take this knowledge and share it, talk about AT with your friends, family, and co-workers. Could read aloud and dictation tools, for example, help someone in your life? Next time you pick up your remote control, put on your eyeglasses, use your mouse, think about the amount of AT in your life that goes unnamed as ‘Assistive Technology.’

We all have a voice, and we all can influence people in our lives. Just think, is the conversation about Assistive Technology worth having? I hope by authoring this article that you are more AT aware and that you can talk about AT to at least one person in your life. You never know how you can influence someone's life and if sharing a few AT insights from this article persuades some to explore AT then that is all this article needed to do.