Wow, this year has flown by, and it’s hard to believe December is here already! In celebration of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek December 5-9, 2022, I would like to note the effort educators are making to learn about and focus on bringing new technology tools into classrooms. These days, technology, whether low-tech or high-tech, is a common component in classrooms. And when technology is appropriately integrated into teaching practices, it has the power to deeply impact learning experiences. An important consideration to make when implementing technology in the classroom is thinking about if the tools are adaptive or assistive, and asking if the tools create a pathway to accessibility that benefits all students. 

For many students, adaptive technology tools have the power to create a space for their voice and choice in a learning environment. With these tools, classrooms can shift from a student being a passive listener to becoming an active participant. And for educators, implementing technology using the principles of universal design for learning to design and deliver instruction has become best practice. 

What’s the difference between assistive and adaptive technology you might wonder? And that, dear reader, is a great question because the two terms have been used interchangeably in the world of accessibility; however, they are different… 

Adaptive technology is a subcategory of assistive technology. Some technologies are purely assistive, while many are both adaptive and assistive. 

  • Assistive technology [AT] can be thought of as any item that supports a child’s ability to participate actively in his or her home, childcare program, school, or other community settings. It is a broad term that includes items ranging from something as “low tech” as a foam wedge for positioning to something as “high tech” as a power wheelchair for independent mobility. (Assistive Technology, ECTA) 
  • Adaptive technologies are products, equipment, and services that help users with disabilities access digital content. (Adaptive Technologies, University of Minnesota) 

Some examples of adaptive technology helping to make education more inclusive: 

  • Closed captioning to help students who are deaf or hard of hearing to interact with video and audio materials 
  • Text-to-Speech (TTS) programs “read aloud” take words on a device and converts them to audio 
  • Speech recognition programs designed to recognize speech and transcribe it into text 
  • Screen readers help blind or visually impaired users with reading/physical disabilities/difficulties to interact with their reading materials 
  • Electronic pointers can help with tracking 

As you design your learning experiences for all students, I encourage you to explore both assistive and adaptive technologies that may make the content more accessible and foster active participation by all.  

 

Reference: Design for Each and Every Learner: Universal Design for Learning Modules. Institute on Community Integration Publications. 

For more information on accessibility specifics, check out Microsoft’s accessibility features, Google’s accessibility features and products, and other inclusive technologies to meet your classroom needs.