Assistive
Technology (AT)
• AT can make sound louder.
• AT can make sound visible.
• AT can make sound tactile.
Assistive Technology – Trinity College Dublin
• AT can make sound irrelevant.
• What is Assistive technology ?
The term Assistive technology can be described as any use of
technology which helps you perform a task more easily.
A more structured definition of assistive technology can be provided
by Cook and Hussey (2008) as any piece of equipment or product
system whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or
customized that is used to increase, maintain or improve functional
capabilities of individual with disabilities
Introduction
1. Disability service & role
2. TCD Disability student numbers
3. 1:1 AT meeting what to look
4. Common used IT/AT software & hardware
5. Conclusions
My student support Role –
Disability service
• Provide technology assessment &
training to all students registered with
the DS service as referred to by the
Disability officers or by Unilink OT’s.
• Procure new assistive devices or freeware software
for student to avail of.
• Maintain the Assistive Technology study areas in the
library – Hamilton / Ussher.
Number of students registered with the Disability Service attending College
Students registered with DS as percentage of overall student body

Percentage of overall student body, increasing by year
01/02
222
1.50%
02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10
285
345
365
421
420
434
585
685
1.9% 2.3% 2.4% 2.8% 3.2% 2.8% 3.6% 4.2%
10/11
818
4.9%
11/12
911
5.4%
12/13
1058
6.4%
•Students registered with the Disability Service
categorised by Disability Type
Categorization by Disability Type for the last three years
Category of Disability
2010-11
2011-2012
2012-2013
Hard of Hearing / Deaf
Visual Disability / Blind
Physical Disability
Significant Ongoing Illness
Mental Health
Autistic Spectrum
ADHD or ADD
Neurological
Speech Language & Communication
Disorders
Intellectual disability
Dyspraxia
28
20
60
116
123
22
28
4
37
21
79
112
149
28
50
20
35
22
94
139
200
43
63
30
0
45
34
0
34
39
2
33
51
Dyslexia/Dyscalculia/Dysgraphia
Total
338
818
342
911
346
1058
4.90%
5.4%
6.40%
Percentage of total student
population
Increasing number of NEW students registering each
year with DS
Student Technology Assessment
• Specific A.T requirements will be assessed when you
meet up with the AT officer for the first time.
•
The assessment is a student led assessment broken into 3 areas:
1. Initial use of technology - this 5min online assessment is completed prior to
meeting with the AT officer to gain any information on past technology use and
issues arising from its use.
2. Assessment of 3rd level Activities and matching them to a technology need
and disability - this 30-45min 1:1 meeting aims to look at what educational
activities the student will be using technology and matches the student
preference and ability to suggested Assistive technology based on feedback
gained from phase 1. e.g. Text to speech, recording , screen reading and
magnification technologies
3. Feedback on use - This final 5min online and face to face end of academic year
meeting looks at the outcomes of using the technology during the year and looks
at how it can further be integrated into employment/ social activities.
Student Technology Assessment
• The assessment has 4 clear aims:
1. Provides a feedback of what the person thinks and
feels towards technology & their actual need.
2. Puts the onus on the student to select and use the
resources available.
3. Sets expectations - need for training
4. Looks at the use of technology in moving into
employment.
Student Technology Assessment
• The assessment is based on a number of Assistive Technology
assessment frameworks :
Matching Person Technology ( Scherer) (2002)
The MPT process contains a series of instruments:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
For persons considering any kind of technology, but believe there may be a general
reluctance to use technology, the Survey of Technology Use (SOTU) helps identify
technologies an individual feels comfortable or successful in using so that a new technology
can be built around existing comfort or success.
The Assistive Technology Device Predisposition Assessment (ATD PA) to help people select
assistive technologies.
The Educational Technology Predisposition Assessment (ET PA) to help students use
technology reach certain educational goals.
The Workplace Technology Predisposition Assessment (WT PA) for employers, vocational
counsellors, etc. who introduce new technologies into the workplace and who train persons in
their use.
The Health Care Technology Predisposition Assessment (HCT PA) for health care providers
who recommend or prescribe technologies for health maintenance, pain relief, and so on.
Student Technology Assessment
• HAAT Model – Cook & Huussy (1995)
Student Technology Assessment
Other Examples:
SETT Model – (Student, Environments, Tasks, and Tools ) (Zabala ‘99)
The person who is the central focus of the process.
The customary environments in which the person is expected to live, learn and grow
The specific things that the person needs or wants to be able to do to reach expectations
Everything that is needed by the person and others for the person to accomplish the tasks in the
places where they need to be done so that progress is achieved
Quest Model - The Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction (Demers & Ska 2002)
The QUEST was designed to evaluate a person’s satisfaction with a wide range of assistive
technology (AT) (Demers et al. 2002).
The current version of the scale covers two dimensions: satisfaction with the device and
satisfaction with the service from the vendor/manufacturer.
Use
Milieu
Support from family/
peers/ teachers
Personality
Proud to use
device
Technology
Goal achieved with
no pain, fatigue,
stress
Motivated
Full use
Realistic expectations of
family/ peers/ teachers
Cooperative
Compatible
with/enhances the
use of other
technologies
Good coping skills
Setting/ environment fully
supports & rewards use
Patient
Is safe, reliable,
easy to use and
maintain
Self-disciplined
Has the skills to
use device
Has the desired
transportability
No better options
currently available
Influences on Assistive Technology Use &
Non-use
Use
Milieu
Pressure for use from
either family / peers /
teachers
Partial /
Reluctant
/Non Use
Personality
Embarrassed to
use device
Impatient /
impulsive
Assistance often not
available
Setting/environment
discourages use or
makes use awkward
Unrealistic
expectations
Low self-esteem
Somewhat
intimidated by
technology
Deficits in skills
needed for use
Technology
Goal not fully
achieved or with
discomfort/strain
Requires a lot of set
up
Interferes
somewhat with the
use of other
technologies
Device is inefficient
Other options to
device use exist
Sensory Disabilities
Low vision / Blind Aids
• Screen reader software – Blind visually impaired
students – s/w talks back what is on screen –
reliant on good web design and good keyboard
skills. – 60 day trail from Freedom scientific
• Zoomtext scree magnification – Students low
vision zoom text magnifier – read the screen
and magnifies the screen as needed / colour
contrast
Sensory Disabilities
Low vision / Blind Aids
• Zoom-ex – A portable scanner
with inbuilt OCR character
recognition and playback.
• CCTV - A portable magnifier for
students with low vision.
Assistive Listening Devices
Digital Aids
Converser
Comfort Contego
SLD – Dyslexia
/Dysgraphia
Texthelp Read & Write
• A range of tools designed for students who require extra
assistance when reading or composing text. Some features:
• Advanced spelling check
• Text to speech
• OCR scanning
• On all College computer room pc’s
SLD – Dyslexia
/Dysgraphia
TTRS – Touch type read & spell to advance
good Keyboarding skills & word formulation
SLD – Dyslexia
/Dysgraphia
Dragon Speech Recognition program
• Typing/ Fatigue
• Learning difficulty
• Need intensive
• Improving mobile app version
Mind Mapping Software.
•
“A mind map is a diagram used to represent
words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and
arranged around a central key word or idea.
Mind maps are used to generate, visualize,
structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid to
studying and organizing information, solving
problems, making decisions, & writing.”
• Inspiration / Read & write across college.
• Digital Recorders. / audio
Note-taker software
• Livescibe.
http://bg-bg.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=18227199273
• Reminders on phone /
Calendars.
Why use free to use
software
• Cost
• Funding
• Availability
• http://www.tcd.ie/disability/services/web-resources.php
Why Apps
•
•
•
•
Already owned Technology
Cheap to download
Small learning cycle
Seamless & Ubiquitous in design
•
http://www.tcd.ie/disability/services/assistive-tech/#apps
Ergonomics
• Information and research on the use & correct posture for use of
the devices loaned or advised upon;
http://www.tcd.ie/disability/services/assistive-tech/ergonomicguide.php
Conclusion
• Technology can help support the needs of
students once aimed and supported correctly.
• Use of such Technology last beyond the
educational cycle and skills acquired can be
used during there working life
• Technology gives students more independence
and confidence to work using their skills and
strengths.
AT - don’t be
afraid to use it!